Small Problems
by Whymsical
Summary: England, fed up with America once again, makes a shrinking potion to turn America small. But the potion (as usual) backfires, so England ends up small for a week instead. Contains G/T (Giant/Tiny interactions), and both human and nation names are used. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Hey guys, so this is the first multi-chaptered story I'm posting. It's gonna be long. It's based off an RP I did with one of my best friends.

I want to thank all of you who favorited/reviewed/read my previous stories, and please enjoy this one! (And I'd like to apologize here for all the Horizontal Lines in the beginning. It'll get better later on.)

* * *

Arthur dropped the final ingredient into the simmering clear potion. The lock of blond hair fell from his palm and disappeared with a soft plop.

"Finally, America, you'll see." he muttered to himself as he heaved the pot off of the flame and set it down on the cool stone floor of his basement. He then went upstairs and grabbed the old-looking phone off of its hook. He dialed, and waited for someone to pick up.

* * *

Alfred whipped out his phone, quickly throwing it in between his shoulder and ear, as he started to madly press on the buttons of his Xbox.

"Y'eeeeeeeello?" he replied, as an explosion sounded loudly in the background.

"Alfred, at least greet someone properly over the phone if you cannot do it in person!" Arthur snapped.

"What!? Dude, i said 'hi,' what else 'ya want?!" Another explosion sounded, and some gunshots as Alfred cursed loudly.

Pinching his nose, Arthur took a deep breath. "Would you like to come over for a drink?" he asked as calmly as he could.

The game immediately went on pause. "What?"

"Would. You. Like. To come over. For a drink?" he repeated, slower this time.

Alfred was silent for a moment before snickering and restarting the game. "IF your talkin' alcohol, then no, I don't wanna drag you home again like last time."

"I- Y-You did not drag me home! I was perfectly fine!" Arthur sputtered. He took a moment to compose himself. "But no, I don't mean alcohol. I was thinking tea and...Coffee." He spat out the word like he would get a fatal disease just from saying it.

"Coffee? No way, whata 'ya planning England?" Alfred asked, furiously clicking at the buttons. "There is no way you have coffee at your house. You threw my Starbucks out the window last time I came with it!"

Arthur froze for a second. "I'm not planning anything!" he snapped. "And what the hell would you know about my coffee stores?"

Alfred pursed his lips. "That they suck. But 'kay, I'll come! See ya in a bit!" he hung up, snickering.

"Why you-" Arthur realized he was talking to a dead phone and hung it back on its hook, cursing.

He poured the cooled, clear potion into a bottle and placed it onto a cupboard. He started making preparations for tea and coffee, and waited for a certain idiot to come around.

* * *

Alfred pursed his lips as he got up and started to get ready, pulling on a different shirt, one with a big obnoxious white eagle and the words 'UNTIED STATES OF AMERICA, FUCK YEAH!' on it. He grabbed a sweatshirt and made his way to Arthur's house. When he got there, he sighed when he found the door locked, but decided he was too lazy to use the side door or the window. After a moment he decided against it again, and made his way to the kitchen window, where he saw Arthur doing something.

"YOYOYOYOYOYOYOYOYOYO, YO IGGY OPEN UP!" he yelled, banging on the glass.

Arthur nearly dropped his favorite teapot as the loud voice assaulted his ears. He set it gently down on the table. "Bloody hell-" He stalked over to the window and yanked it open. "It's Arthur, you idiot! And wait by the front door." He slammed the window shut and walked to the front door, unlocking it.

Alfred didn't move from his spot as he pursed his lips. "I WANNA GO THROUGH THE WINDOW, LEMME IN IGGY! I WANNA BE LIKE JAMES BOND!"

Arthur leaned out or the door and shot Alfred a dark glare. "How old are you?! AND IT'S ARTHUR, DAMNIT!"

"C'mon England, it'll be fun! And I forgot how to open the window from outside, c'mon!"

Arthur facepalmed, but then put on a brilliant smile and closed the door. _'A few more bloody minutes...you can last that long, right Arthur?' _he asked himself before unlocking the window and stepping back from it.

"Awesome!" Alfred ignored the sudden nice gesture. He grabbed the window sill and pulled himself up, then threw himself into the house, falling onto the floor before he exploded laughing.

Arthur stared down at the laughing American, one eyebrow raised. "Are you quite done with that idiocy?"

Alfred slowly muffled his laugh, looking up at him. "What, it was totally fun! You should try it!"

"I think not. Pick yourself off the floor, you look an utter mess!" Arthur said. _'Besides, this may be your last chance in a while to be taller than me...'_ he added in his thoughts.

Alfred laughed, turning onto his stomach so his cheek touched the cold floor. "Gaaah, but it feels niceeeeeeeee, can I just stay here?"

The green-eyed nation felt a sudden urge to plant a foot on the American's back and make him beg, but he shoved it down. "You didn't come here to lie on my floor. So get up, Alfred"

He didn't move in the slightest. "Help me up, Artie."

"You can do it yourself."

Alfred pouted, and grabbed his leg, pulling himself up into a sitting position. Arthur almost let out a yelp as he nearly went down, but somehow managed to hold in the noise and keep his footing.

"You idiot, at least give some WARNING if you're going to do that!"

Alfred looked up at him, and snickered. "'Kay Iggy- WHOOP, WARNING~!" he yelled before grabbing his arm and hoisting himself completely up.

Arthur went down this time, landing hard on his side. "Fucking- IT'S ARTHUR!" He climbed to his feet, still cursing.

The other nation laughed, patting him on the back. "Mhm, okay Artie, whatever you say~"

Arthur jerked away, scowling. "Don't touch me." He walked over to the counter. "You want tea or coffee?" he asked, already knowing what the answer was.

"Coffee," Alfred replied, ignoring how obvious it was. "So, why'd you call me here?"

"Just wanted to drink with someone." Arthur shrugged.

He poured water into a kettle and set it onto the stove. He always used bottled water instead of tap water, so it was the simplest thing to slip the potion into the kettle.

"Is it cuz you have no friends, England?" Alfred snickered, getting into his seat.

"I-I have plenty of friends, git!" He stayed facing away from Alfred, so the American wouldn't see his red face.

Alfred pursed his lips with a smirk. "Whatever you say man," he replied, leaning against the back of the chair and staring up at the ceiling.

"Shut up, it's true!"

The kettle began whistling, so he took it off and prepared the drinks. He set the mug of coffee none too gently down before Alfred and took his own seat across from him.

"Thanks." Alfred took the mug of coffee and immediately drank from it, nearly drinking the entire thing. He then placed it back down. "So, wassup man?"

Arthur smirked slightly as Alfred placed the cup down, then took a sip of his own tea. "Well, it's about to get interesting."

Alfred looked at him, confused. "What?"

Arthur's grin got wider. "Noth-"

The smile disappeared from his face as he began to feel strange inside. _'No, no, no, this cannot be happening!'_ he thought, panicked, as his body began to smoke. In a few seconds, he was completely engulfed in a cloud of the stuff. The next thing he knew, he was lying in the floor next to his chair leg as the smoke cleared away. Except the chair leg was about ten times bigger than he was.

Alfred jumped up, the chair falling behind him. "What the FUCK?!" He looked to see nothing in Arthur's seat. "Hey man, if you're trying to scare me, i-it won't work!" He looked around. "Is this your stupid-ass magic stuff again?! What the hell are you doing?!"

Arthur winced and covered his ears as the crash of the chair and Alfred's voice washed over him. He instinctively huddled closer to the chair leg, his mind not quite having caught up to the situation he had found himself in. He stayed as still and quiet as possible to try and avoid detection. He didn't need a giant Alfred laughing at him over his current situation, and he most certainly didn't need any help. Besides, he wasn't sure how the American would react to this. And then there was his strength. All in all, it would be better to just stay still until he left, and then try to figure out a way out of this mess.

Alfred looked around again. "Holy shit, where are you-" Although he had horrible sight, the glasses did help a lot as he spotted something by the chair that used to be Arthur's. He quietly walked over, and fell down to his knees, leaning down to get a closer look. And when he saw the little version of Arthur, his eyes grew as wide as humanely possible. "E-England..?"

* * *

**A/N**: So what did you think? Don't hesitate to leave a review~! I've actually got this story already written out, so I should be updating it every two or three days.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Second chapter! Thank you guys for all the follows and favorites and everything~! Enjoy now!

Forgot to mention this last chapter, but Hetalia (c) Hidekaz Himaruya (Though that should be fairly obvious...)

* * *

Arthur flinched back again, cursing his luck. He stared up at Alfred's face and started shaking a bit. He would never admit it, no, but he was a bit afraid. He stayed still and silent, though, and hoped the taller nation would pass it off as an illusion.

Alfred kept staring at him. "...Are you, like a fairy now or something?"

Out of anger, Arthur finally found his voice. "Of course not, you idiot!" he managed to shout up.

Alfred's confused face turned into a grin. "Dude...then what the hell happened?"

"I-I don't know..." Arthur muttered. He really didn't know what had gone wrong. It should be Alfred small and him normal-sized!

"What do you mean you don't know? It was apparently something YOU did! I mean, if you don't burn the food or drinks you make, course you're gonna screw it up somehow!" Alfred replied, grinning.

"Shut up! I'll figure it out, just go away!"

"Go away?! Dude, I'm a hero, I totally haveta help you now!" Alfred reached out with both hands, gently poking Arthur with one and placing the other behind the tiny nation to catch him as he fell. He raised the hand with him in it to his face. "OMG, you are small."

Arthur panicked as Alfred's hands came towards him and tried to get out of his grasp. "Don't- don't touch me! Put me down! Alfred F. Jones, put me down!" He was even more afraid now, though he still refused to admit it, even to himself. Alfred didn't know his own strength sometimes. Was it possible for a nation to simply be crushed? He hoped not to find out. "And I don't need your help!"

Alfred looked at him, tilting his head. "You totally do, cuz your a damsel in distress now!" He stood up, Arthur standing in the palm of his hand.

"I am not!" Grasping onto Alfred's thumb, Arthur peered out at the drop. His stomach turned when he noticed the distance to the ground.

Alfred snickered. "Soooo wanna repeat what you just said?" He wiggled his thumb a bit. "Calm down, the hero won't drop you!"

Arthur's heart nearly stopped when Alfred's thumb began moving. He immediately let go of it and collapsed in the center of his palm. "Won't you?" he asked quietly.

"What? Speak louder man, I can't hear you!"

Arthur winced. "And you speak softer! You'll deafen me!"

Alfred nodded. "Okay~!" He lowered his voice. "So, what'd you say?"

"Nothing. I said nothing."

"Okay, well," He moved his hand, placing it on the table if Arthur wanted to get off. "How the hell do we make you...short but taller than now again?"

The moment Alfred's hand was low enough, Arthur jumped off it and landed on the table. He headed out to the center of it, well away from the American. "We do nothing. It will wear off in a few days. So go home. I'll be fine. I've been in worse situations."

"...In a few days?! England, you won't be able to do ANYTHING by yourself!" Suddenly grinning mischievously, Alfred placed a hand right in front of Arthur's path. "Worse situations? Like?"

Arthur moved away from the hand. "It doesn't matter. I'll. Be. Fine."

Alfred threw his other hand down, trapping him in between his arms. "Like now?" The grin on his face couldn't be wider.

Arthur tried to find an escape, looking frantically everywhere. "I'll be fine!" he shouted again. "Get out of here!"

"How would you get food, you're on the kitchen table!" Alfred said, raising an eyebrow. He locked his elbows together and looked at England, for whom he had left no escape at all.

"I'll get around somehow. Let me go!" he snapped, hitting Alfred's arm.

Alfred pursed his lips again, narrowing his eyes playfully. "Nnnnnoooope~!

Arthur hit him again, harder this time. "Alfred, let me go, damnit! Take your blasted hero complex somewhere else!"

Alfred felt nothing at all from his helpless hits at his arm. "But YOU need it!"

"I DO NOT NEED IT!"

Alfred placed his chin on his elbows, looking down at him. "Yeeeessss you do!"

"No I fucking don't!" Arthur retreated as far as he could go.

"Whoa, language there, old man." Alfred raised one hand, still looking at him. "I'll just stay to make sure you don't fall or die! Or die from starvation or something!"

Arthur sighed. "I won't fall or die. Or die of starvation. My friends will keep me fed. And don't you go correcting my language! Have you HEARD some of the stuff on your streets?!"

Alfred ignored his last comment. "Yes you will- what friends England, the fairies? I'll totally help you cuz I'm your friend, a HERO friend!"

"If you were a hero, you would listen to me and GO HOME!" Arthur snapped. Most of his fear had gone away by now, leaving mostly irritation.

Alfred moved both his hands away, bringing them back to himself and folding them under his chin. "I dunno where you got the definition of hero from, but that's not it." he replied, poking him. "I'm staying whether you like it or not~!"

Arthur was knocked back a step. "Don't touch me!" He carefully walked over to the edge on the opposite side of the table. "And fine, stay if you absolutely must, but keep out of my way."

Alfred smiled, reaching out to slide his hand behind Arthur and then pull it back, pushing him back to him with his hand. "Out of YOUR way?"

Arthur tried escaping again, unsuccessfully. "Yes!" he snapped, fuming. "Stay out of MY way!"

Alfred pulled his other hand up, linking his fingers so Arthur was trapped again. "Okay, cool. Now, where's your way again?" he couldn't help but snicker.

Arthur furiously tried to break Alfred's grip, straining against his fingers, to no avail. "Out there. Now let me go, before I curse you!"

"Curse me, like you cursed yourself?!" Alfred laughed, picking him up by the collar of his shirt and raising him up, careful not to hurt him. "Dude, you look like a doll or something!"

"How many times do I have to tell you, put me DOWN!" Arthur was slightly nervous again, as there was nothing but air beneath him. "And I am not a doll, so don't you get any bloody ideas!"

Alfred smiled at the last comment. "Too late, England~!" He lowered him, dropping him the last centimeter before starting to encircle him with objects. Seconds later he had used the cups and spoons and sugar and everything as a barrier.

"What- Alfred, what are you doing?!" Arthur threw himself at the sugar holder. It moved a bit. He backed up and charged it again, trying to make a hole in the barrier.

Alfred narrowed his eyes at the flaw in the barrier, wrapping his arm around that side to push the objects back. "There we go!"

Arthur threw himself against the barrier again a few times, but he was quickly growing tired. After a final, pitiful attempt, he slid down against the side of the sugar into a sitting position. "Alfred, let me go."

"But this is fun!" Alfred looked around, picking him up and placing him on his shoulder. "Fine, I'll use something else!"

Arthur grabbed onto the collar of his sweatshirt to keep from falling off. "No, Alfred. Let me go as in leave me alone. Don't touch me. Don't pick me up. Don't play with me. Let. Me. Go."

Alfred pursed his lips as he walked into the living room and looked around. "I might...if ya beg~!" he replied.

"Never! I will never beg of ANTHING from you!"

"We'll see. Welp, if that's what you want..." Alfred snickered, picking him up, and placing him on the clear glass coffee table. "Then I get to play with you~!"

Arthur took a running start and leapt from the table, landing on the floor with luckily no injury. He raced towards the nearest shelter, the couch. He slid under it and crawled all the way back to the wall.

"Try and play with me now, git." he muttered to himself.

"Hey- England!" Alfred dropped to his knees and looked under the couch. "That was lame, man. What if a rat attacks you, I can't save ya then!" He didn't try reaching under the couch but instead turned, flopping onto his back. "Fine. Come to me when you're dying of starvation. Then we'll play." he replied. He turned his head to look under the darkness of the couch and snickered.

"I have no rats here, idiot. And there is no way in hell I am coming out!" Arthur shouted to him, huddling into the wall.

"Mmhmm. Until you get hungry. Or the overwhelming feeling of the fact that the couch could collapse on you and crush you scares you out. Or somethin' else."

"The couch won't collapse on me either. There is nothing for me to be worried about."

"Unless I was to help it collapse~!"

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't dare."

Alfred turned to look into the darkness of the couch again, grinning evilly. "I would! And I'll bet you too!"

"That's not what a hero would do!" Arthur taunted, but the beginnings of uneasiness were stirring in him.

Alfred fell silent for a moment. "But a hero would do whatever he needed to do to help someone! And I needa get you out, so I can help you!" he decided.

"I don't need help. I will be fine. And what you really need to do is listen to me! A hero always listens!"

Alfred cursed to himself, Arthur starting to get to him with reasoning. "But I am listening! And your reasons are stupid. C'mon Artie, I just wanna play~!"

"I'm not some doll that you can just play with! I need my space, even more now that I'm this size." Arthur pointed out. "Alfred, do you realize how dangerous you are right now?"

Alfred kept staring into the darkness. "But you aaaaare- What?" He fell silent for a moment. "Dangerous? England, bro, a hero wouldn't hurt anyone!"

"Maybe not intentionally, but right now, if you were careless even for a moment, things could end badly."

"I-I'm not careless, and I won't be! Just come out, England!"

"You are. And no. I think I'll stay here."

"I'm not!" Alfred kept staring into the darkness, as if trying to spot the tiny figure.

Arthur watched him for a moment. "But you are."

"I'm not!" He fixed his eyes on what he thought was Arthur and slowly reached his hand out to him. "C'mon England!"

Arthur didn't move, his eyes fixed on the approaching hand. "You can be."

"Everyone can be!" Alfred's hand reached its lengths limit.

"That may be, but you're overly so."

"...I'm giving you three seconds to come before I pick this couch up." Alfred's evil smirk returned.

Arthur sighed. "No playing, okay?" He still didn't move though.

"I...can't promise that."

"Then I'm afraid I can't come out. Not to you." He took off running again, dashing alongside the wall. He emerged from underneath the couch and made for a nearby bookshelf.

Alfred guessed that might happen and pulled his hand out from under the couch, quickly taking out his phone. He expertly threw it, managing to get it in Arthur's way, about a few inches away from him to block his path.

Arthur slid to a stop as the phone landed in front of him. He glanced back at Alfred, then veered around the phone and kept going. _'Almost there..'._ he thought.

But Alfred had bought enough time with that to turn and throw himself forward, his foot hitting the wall as he blocked the path to the bookshelf with his leg. "Ha!"

Arthur jerked to a stop again, backing away from Alfred's leg and wincing at the noise.

Alfred looked at him, grinning. "I win!" He reached out with both hands and encircled him again.

"Alfred! Let me go!" Arthur struggled again as Alfred's fingers closed around him.

"Nope! What you get for running away!"

Arthur regarded him warily. "What are you going to do now?"

Alfred kept looking at him, deep in thought. "Dunno. Hmmm...you have any ideas? Any GOOD ideas?"

"Yes. I have a brilliant idea."

Alfred's head dropped down and a muffled voice came out from the direction of the floor. "It must be horrible then…"

"It's quite simple, really." Arthur said, ignoring the other's words. "You let me go, then get the hell out of here."

Alfred groaned. "That's NOT a GOOD ideaaa!" He looked up, and snickered. "You say it as if you have a choice on what I do,"

"That's the point!" Arthur shouted. "I don't have any bloody choice in what you do with me! You could do whatever! And I couldn't do a thing to stop you." He looked down.

"...Awwwww, Iggy!" Alfred picked him up by the shirt again. "Don't worry it'll all be FUN!"

"But it won't be. And my name isn't Iggy!"

Alfred pursed his lips. "Yes it will!" He stood up, placing Arthur on one of the bookshelves.

Arthur crossed his arms and glared. "I have a feeling our ideas of 'fun' are very different."

"Yeah. Cuz you're old and boring." Alfred raised his hand, to check the time. "Oh. Are you hungry? It's, like, three in the afternoon."

Of course, the very moment he said it, Arthur's stomach let out a growl. He looked carefully down, judging the distance from the shelf to the ground. He might be able to climb down without falling. "No, of course not! And even if I was, I could get it myself!"

Alfred snickered. "Yeah, okay little guy." He gently patted the top of Arthur's head. "I'd like to see THAT fail."

"Shut up, git! I wouldn't fail!" He jerked away from the contact.

"Yeah. You would." Alfred said, snickering again.

Arthur's hands clenched into fists. "I wouldn't!" he shouted up, his face getting a bit red.

Alfred stared at him. "Are you deaf? Yes, you would. This bookshelf is like a million feet long."

"I would not fail, and I'm not going to fall!" Arthur snapped and sat down, his legs and feet hanging over the edge. "I'll prove it!"

"Go right ahead."

"I will, thank you very much!" he spat.

Arthur turned himself around and slowly slipped off the shelf so he was only hanging by his fingertips. Swinging slightly to get momentum, he waited and then let go, so he landed on the shelf below. Pausing for a moment to stick his tongue out at Alfred (it was a childish gesture, but it seemed appropriate for the time and was completely done on impulse), he then proceeded to repeat the process. It all went well until three shelves later, he misjudged the timing, let go wrong, landed wrong, bounced off the spine of a book, and nearly slid off the edge of the shelf. His left arm was hurting like hell, and he clung only to the shelf with his right, which was slipping. And he couldn't even grab on with his other hand because of the pain. It wasn't broken or anything, but badly bruised.

"Shit..." he muttered, trying to heave himself up.

* * *

**A/N**: This seems to me to be like a bit of an awkward place to stop, but I didn't want to drag this chapter on for too long. If you guys find any grammatical/spelling mistakes, don't hesitate to point them out~


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: Chapter three here. There's some cursing. Not much else to say.

* * *

Alfred smiled, and laughed. "Look at that." He poked Arthur's back gently. "Need some help there?"

"Bloody hell-" Arthur gasped as he slipped even more after Alfred's touch. "No I do not need your fucking help! Don't touch me!" he yelled. He managed to gain some ground, but began slipping again. "Fucking shelf, fucking potion, fucking American!" he growled.

Alfred's smile was a bit destroyed when Arthur cursed at him, but he tried not to show it. He reached out with his hand, holding it under him without a word.

"Remove your hand, I don't need your help!"

Arthur reached up with his left hand, deciding than a little more pain was better than either falling to his death or accepting Alfred's help. However, the moment he put any pressure on it, he hissed and let go again.

"Fucking-" He forced himself to stop, to calm down, to collect himself. "You can do this, Arthur, it's just a bloody shelf." he told himself out loud, and tried to get up again, unsuccessfully.

Alfred didn't say anything, or move at all from his position, as he watched him, even with hints of amusement as he refused to receive help.

Arthur, his energy considerably depleted, finally let go of the shelf. He fell for a few seconds before landing in Alfred's palm. He refused to say anything or look up at him.

Alfred felt the small weight in his palm and he curled his fingers up so Arthur wouldn't fall. He then raised him up to his face, turning him to force him to look at him. "It was a good try, England."

Arthur looked down, refusing to meet Alfred's gaze. "Shut up." he muttered. "It's not like you could do any better." He rubbed his arm, trying to massage some of the pain away.

Alfred grinned. "Hell yeah I could!" He started to carry him into the kitchen. "Is your arm okay?"

"It's fine!" Arthur snapped, immediately stopping touching it and scowling.

"Y'fell on it pretty bad..." Alfred replied as he walked into the kitchen and looked around, trying to find a place where he could put Arthur without him running away. He decided on the shelf above the stove, and he placed him on it.

"I am fine! Don't worry." Arthur went over to the edge and groaned at the drop.

Alfred smiled, snickering. "You stay right there." He looked into the fridge. "Eww, you don't have anything good. What do you want?"

Arthur retreated into the farthest corner and started rubbing his arm again the moment Alfred's eyes left him. "I don't care."

"Whada ya mean, 'I don't care', I don't even know what you want!"

"Get something you want. I don't care."

Alfred glared at the shelf. "You don't have anything I would want." He looked into the fridge again, cursing as he literally found nothing good. He finally closed it and looked into a cupboard, where he found some crackers. He took a few and went over to the shelf, holding them out. "Want one?"

Arthur crawled over, grabbed the cracker, and then went back to the corner.

Alfred stared at him. "...What are you doing?" He reached in, gently wrapping his fingers around Arthur as he pulled him out.

"Let me go!" Arthur yelled, the cracker slipping through his arms. "I'm trying to- I'm doing nothing!"

"Trying to do...what?" Alfred held him in front of himself.

"Nothing. Put me back."

"'Nothing put me back.'" Alfred mimicked.

He walked over to the table and sat down, placing the tiny nation right in front of himself. Arthur stumbled away from him, moving as far away as the table would allow.

"Uwah!" Alfred moved his hand out, trying to block his way but gently hitting him by accident, so he fell back onto his hand. "Why are ya hating on me?"

Arthur gasped as Alfred struck his left arm. "Get- get away! Go home! I don't need you here!"

Alfred looked at him, suddenly serious. "You could have died if I left."

"You're the one who put me up there in the first place!"

"But you're the one who had the brilliant idea of trying to kill himself." He pulled Arthur closer down the table to him.

Arthur struggled, trying to get out of Alfred's grip. "I wouldn't have had to do that if you hadn't put me up there!" he said through gritted teeth.

"Fine. Then you would have fucking did some other stupid thing if I left. And you'd starve."

"Then leave me the crackers and go home. I won't starve. And I am not you, who has idiotic ideas sprouting from your head on a daily basis!"

"Yes you will, and no. And that's not true! My ideas are fine!"

"They're bloody brilliant, you know?" Arthur said sarcastically.

Alfred's cheeks got red as his eyebrows met. "Sh-shut up." He left him on the table as he walked over to the fridge again.

Arthur sprinted over to where one of the chairs was and jumped. He landed jarringly on the chair, but picked himself up and jumped again to the floor. This landing knocked the breath out of him, but once again he forced himself up and darted towards the doorway to the living room.

Alfred rolled his eyes when he saw him running towards the doorway, and he slid his foot in front of him, blocking his path and letting him crash into it. "Can you stop? It's not like I plan to kill you or something."

"No. I won't stop." he yelled up, rubbing his head after bouncing quite painfully off of Alfred's foot. He shook his head to clear it and ran around it, continuing on his way.

Alfred kneeled down and gently grabbed him. "Why not?"

"No! Let me go!" He struggled against Alfred's fingers. "Damn you, Alfred!"

"Why not?" Alfred didn't move as he repeated his question.

Arthur hit at Alfred's fingers. "Let me go! I won't be controlled by the likes of you!"

He didn't care what effect his words were having, he just wanted Alfred to put him down and leave him alone so he could figure out what had caused this mess and how to maybe make it better.

Alfred sighed, standing up. He walked over to a cupboard, took out a large glass, and placed it on he table, dropping Arthur into it. "Why not?"

Arthur threw himself against the glass, hoping to knock it over. "I just told you, idiot! Now let me out!"

Alfred pursed his lips. "That's a stupid reason, I'm not even doing anything." He picked the glass up, and tilted it so Arthur fell onto it, towards his face.

"Damn you!" Arthur yelped, throwing his arms out to avoid a rather painful contact between his face and the glass. "No, you're not doing anything now, for sure." he spat.

"Cuz you were being mean!" Alfred placed the glass down again. "You're staying in there if you won't listen to me.

"Fine!" Arthur sat down, facing away from him.

"Awesome." Alfred grinned, turning the glass slowly to the side, so Arthur could crawl out.

Arthur didn't move, just threw out his hands for balance as his world tilted. When the glass was on his side, he resumed his previous position.

Alfred waited a few minutes, and when he didn't move he crouched down so they were on the same eye level. "Get out, England."

"I have no intention of listening to you."

Alfred waited for another few minutes, and when the tiny nation still didn't move, he sighed. "...Fine then." He turned the glass over, so he fell out and he took him into his hand again.

Arthur didn't react at all, instead curling into a ball on Alfred's palm.

Alfred stared down at him. "Hey, what the hell? Why are you all depressed and hating on me?!"

"I'm not depressed!" Arthur snapped. "I want you to leave me alone! I can figure this out by myself!"

"I'm not saying you can't! I just wanna help, cuz that's what heroes do, and you need it!"

"For the last bloody time, I don't need your help!"

"You do! I'm just gonna give you food and help you move to places and stuff!"

"Fine! Take me to my bedroom then!"

Alfred nodded. "Mkay." He walked up to stairs and into Arthur's room, and stopped in the doorway. "...Do you have a bird or something?"

Arthur saw the silver cage sitting on his desk and uneasiness built in his stomach. "No... Just set me on the bed."

Alfred didn't move. "Then what's that?" he pointed to the cage.

"That is...for my own personal reasons. Put me on the bed, Alfred."

Alfred still didn't move. "What fucking personal reasons?" he asked, voice hard. He was starting to get suspicious of how Arthur had asked him over for a drink...what he said beforehand.

"It doesn't matter anymore. The bed. Now, Alfred."

"England. What fucking reasons?" His hand was slightly shaking as his fingers curled inwards.

Arthur flinched as Alfred's fingers tightened around him. "It doesn't matter! Put me down!"

"Why'd you ask me over for a drink?"

Arthur's stomach dropped. "I wanted to spend time with you. Can't I spend time with friends?" he asked, not looking at Alfred. _'How did he figure it out? He shouldn't have figured it out! Wait, maybe he didn't. Goddamnit Arthur, you have to come up with a better excuse!' _he thought, panicking slightly.

"I...I asked what's up and you said it was about to get interesting when I put my...coffee down..." Alfred froze, not moving at all.

_'No, no he can't be figuring it out!'_ Arthur started trembling. "The coffee had nothing to do with it!" he called out cheerfully, but his voice cracked at the end. "What are you going on about?"

Alfred gulped. "What's the cage for, England?" he asked quietly.

"I-It's just a decoration, nothing more!"

Alfred was silent for a moment. "Y-you turned small cuz of your tea right?"

Arthur looked down. "Yes…"

"Were you planning to make me small?" Alfred was a bit pale now.

"O-Of course not!"

"Then why'd you say it was gonna get interesting?"

"It…always gets interesting when you're around..." Arthur offered weakly.

"But then you smiled a bit. You smiled a bit and then you turned small." Alfred's eyes hadn't left the cage at all.

Arthur was silent for a moment, seeking an excuse. "I was...remembering past times."

"And the cage, you never liked decorating stuff. I was over last week, it wasn't there."

"I...I found it in my attic recently and decided to use it as a decoration."

"You. Don't. Decorate." The pieces were put together in Alfred's mind.

"Tastes can change!"

Alfred gulped, gritting his teeth slightly. "Was it for me, England? Were you going to turn me small and put me in it?" he asked quietly.

"N-No, of course not! W-Where would you get that idea?"

Alfred was now trembling himself. "You would do that, you would.." he muttered.

"Alfred, I wouldn't!" The lie came out easily. "Just set me on the bed."

Alfred walked over to the cage, looking at it. "Why the fuck would you do that?"

"I wouldn't!" Arthur shrank back from the cage, pressing himself deeper into Alfred's hand.

Alfred was still looking at the cage, his grip on Arthur tightening a bit more. "You wanted to make me smaller and fucking put me in the cage for your entertainment." He gritted his teeth. "That's why you were scared, you were scared I would do the same."

Arthur bit back a cry of pain as his arm was put under pressure. The bruising would get much worse. "Alfred, no! I would never- You're hurting me, Alfred!" He tried moving his arm to a more comfortable position, but wasn't able to due to Alfred's tight grip. His heart began thumping wildly.

Alfred loosened his grip very slightly, just enough for Arthur to fix his arm. Still looking at the cage, he went to open it with his other free hand.

"NO!" Arthur screamed. "Alfred, no!"

Alfred smiled and looked at him. "See, I was right. You fucking lied."

Arthur couldn't look up at him. "Please, no..." He hated begging, but it would be even more humiliating to get trapped in his own cage.

"So you were? You were planning to put me in there?" Alfred turned to the cage, teeth still clenched.

"Not for long..." Arthur whispered, his shoulders slumping. "Alfred, please. No..."

Alfred threw a hand up, and dragged it through his hair, still holding Arthur in silence. The hand stopped in his hair as he stared at the blasted cage. After a few moments he took his hand out of his hair, and lowered it to the cage.

Arthur thrashed around. "No! Alfred, no! Don't you dare put me in there!"

"Was that a challenge?" Alfred growled. He closed the door of the cage and walked over to the bed, setting England onto the pillow. "I'm not like that, England. Sorry I ever came for your fucking drink." he said, and walked out of the room.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**: The fourth chapter! There's a bit of a wider time frame in this one, but it's necessary for the story to move on. After all, there's a whole week to get through~ Enjoy!

* * *

Slightly breathless from being dropped, Arthur dashed to the edge of the pillow. "Alfred, come back!"

Alfred cursed to himself. "No reason to..." he mumbled, closing the door and moving down the hall. But as he stood on the first step of the stairs he hesitated, his foot hovering in the air. He stood there for a moment before sitting down, and leaning his head against the wall.

"ALFRED!" Arthur yelled as loud as he could, but it was probably too late. He slumped onto the pillow, unwanted tears of anger and hopelessness leaking out. He angrily wiped them away, but more came. He curled into a ball again in the middle of the pillow.

Alfred heard his yells but shut his eyes, trying to mute them out. He sat there, not wanting to leave and honestly believing Arthur would screw up when doing something, and he'd need to save him. He sat there for a while when he suddenly fell asleep, on that last step on the top, leaning against the wall.

After about half an hour of just lying there, Arthur suddenly got up, went over to the edge of the bed, and slid down to the floor on the blanket. He made his way across the floor or his room, and slipped out under the door. He laughed out loud in relief to see Alfred still there, and then clapped a hand over his mouth so not to wake him. He wiped the last tears from his eyes and cautiously approached. Using Alfred's shirt as a way up, he climbed up onto his stomach and hesitantly burrowed under his hand, which was resting in his lap.

Alfred moved a bit in his sleep, but other than that didn't stir. About 10 minutes later, he started to blink, and wake up. Arthur froze as he began shifting, and hoped the American wouldn't throw him off or anything. Alfred opened his eyes to feel something in his hand. He looked down sheepishly, and raised his hand to see a little figure on his lap. He immediately turned a bit red and looked away from him. Arthur curled up tighter and squeezed his eyes shut.

Alfred didn't say anything for a while, but finally choked some words out. "Why...would you do that?"

"…Do what?" Arthur asked cautiously.

"Wanna put me in there." Alfred answered quietly

Arthur sighed. "I was angry. But...I don't think I could do it now. At least not for more than a few minutes." He buried his face in his hands.

"Why were you angry?"

"Life was annoying me. You were annoying me. I thought if I could teach you a lesson...but of course I screwed up."

Alfred looked down at him. "Teach me a lesson?!"

"I know..." Arthur sighed again. "Why didn't you leave?"

"You would have probably taught me something..." Alfred looked up at the ceiling at the question. "Cuz you probably would have gotten eaten by ghosts or something, and I'm a hero, so I needa protect you."

Arthur chuckled tiredly. "I doubt that. And there are no more ghosts in here."

"There are!" Alfred picked him up, placing him in the middle of his palm.

Arthur still couldn't look up at him. "Whatever you say."

"Oh, so now we're listening, hmm?"

"No, just too tired to argue."

"You're tired?! You're not the one who had to keep catching you cuz you would run away!" Alfred stood up, and went back into the bedroom, freezing for a moment when his eyes fell on the cage, but he kept going. "So why'd you wanna come here?"

"I'm tired. I've been running around vast expanses of flooring, climbing the damnable bookshelf, I almost died, and nearly got stuck in my own cage. I would like to rest for a bit." Arthur's voice caught about the part with the cage.

"Nearly..." Alfred sighed. "Well," he placed Arthur on the pillow, and threw the blanket up, so it covered most of him. "G'night then."

Arthur pulled the covers off him and sat up. "Are you going to leave?"

Alfred looked at him and smiled. "No, I'm going downstairs."

"Okay then. Good night." Arthur tried not to show his disappointment as he lay down again slowly.

Alfred didn't move. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why's you wanna know?"

"I...don't want you to leave. T-The ghosts might get me." Arthur would never tell Alfred the real reason, that he actually enjoyed spending time with him.

Alfred stared at him for a moment before laughing. "Is that right?" He climbed into the bed, next to the little Arthur. "Fine then, I'll make sure the ghosts fuck off."

Arthur snuggled up to Alfred's side. "Thanks. I can sleep well knowing that my hero is here to protect me." he said sarcastically, but the sarcasm was half-hearted and carried no bite.

"Mmmhm, you should be!"

Arthur was asleep within seconds, clinging to Alfred's shirt. He woke up the next morning still holding onto it. His cheeks reddening, he quickly let go and moved away from him.

Alfred blinked, waking up as well at the small movements. "Wha- are the ghosts here?!"

"No. You fell asleep too?"

"N-no. I was watching for the ghosts..."

Arthur laughed. "Well, that goes to show how great a guardsman you are..."

Alfred turned a bit red. "Was that sarcasm!? I was a totally great guardsman!"

"Noooo, there was no sarcasm in that at all." Arthur said, still chuckling a bit.

Alfred blushed. "Sh- Shut up!" he turned onto his back.

Arthur climbed up onto his chest. "Oh, come one. You were an awesome guardsman. I felt completely safe." he said sweetly, with just the barest hint of sarcasm.

Alfred smiled. "You better be!" He poked Arthur in the chest. "So...whaddaya wanna do now?"

Arthur fell back. "Well...I am still a bit hungry. You never let me finish my cracker."

Alfred pursed his lips. "Cuz you ran!" he sat up, picking Arthur up and holding him in his palm. "Food it is." He took him downstairs and placed him on the table as he opened the fridge. "Well, there might be something bette-" Alfred brightened up. "Dude! You have Japanese food!"

"Oh, yeah. Japan brought it over a few days ago. It should still be good."

Alfred took the food out and placed it on the table, opening the box to find some chicken and rice. He slid it over to Arthur. "Um...Y'want me to cut it for you?"

"If you wouldn't mind."

Alfred got a knife and cut the chicken, and pushed the tiny pieces to him. Arthur nodded in thanks and began attacking it. Alfred ate some of the chicken himself, but half of it was still left as he watched the other eat, and he laughed.

Arthur lifted his face from the chicken and glared. "Yes? You find something funny?"

Alfred kept laughing. "Yup!"

"And what exactly would that be?" Arthur asked slowly, gripping the piece of chicken tighter.

"Y'look cute when you're eating." Alfred replied, poking the top of his head.

Arthur turned red and ducked away from the contact. "I-I am not cute!" he shouted, hurling the chicken at the bigger nation.

Alfred watched the piece fall right back into the box. He took it and handed it back to him, laughing again. "You are though!"

Arthur threw more chicken at him until he ran out of ammunition. "I am not cute!"

"You are!" Alfred poked him again.

"I am not!"

Alfred picked him up. "You are! Are you done eating?"

"I am not! But yeah."

"Mkay," Alfred walked into the living room, carrying him. "So what now?"

Arthur thought for a moment. "I don't know. What do you want to do?"

"I dunno! You said you wanted to do something, to find out what happened with the drink and stuff."

"I can do that later."

"Okay, then what do you want to do now?"

"What's it like outside?"

Alfred walked over to the door and opened it, to be hit with a large gust of wind and water. He slammed the door shut. "Like that." he replied, just as thunder boomed in the distance.

Arthur jumped at the loud noise. "Well, blast it. Umm...movie?" He couldn't think of anything else.

Alfred nodded. "Sure." He walked over to the bookshelf with movies and started looking through them. He then noticed a certain horror one with Japanese writing on it. "I never knew you liked to watch horror movies." he said, sliding the DVD out to find a note on it, Japan telling Arthur that he could borrow it as much as he wanted to. Alfred turned a bit dark. "Ummmmmmmmm..."

"Oh, that one. Japan left it here last time he came by. I never got around to watching it."

"Says here you borrowed it..."

"Yeah. I asked him to bring it and he did. He praised the movie very much, and thought I would like it." Arthur shrugged. "I'll watch it eventually."

Alfred nodded, placing the movie back. "Fine then, whadda ya wanna watch?"

Arthur winced a bit at the mangled language, but forced himself to make no comment on it. "See if you can find any episodes of 'Sherlock'."

"Ewwwww, that old movie? Dude, come on~!"

"It's not old!" Arthur threw his hands up in frustration. "But fine! You pick one then!"

Alfred looked through the movies again. "They're all bad-" He suddenly eyed one and pulled it out. "Dude, you have a Cap movie!"

"A what movie?"

"Cap! Captain America!"

Arthur stared at him. "You left that at my house a few weeks ago. Why does everyone always leave things here?! But fine. Put it in."

"WHOOT!" Alfred put it in the DVD compartment and sat on the couch, placing Arthur on his stomach.

Arthur managed to stay awake for the movie, but he was dangerously close to nodding off in numerous areas as the movie was so typically American. They finished that one, and finding nothing better to do, proceeded to watch more movies with breaks for food and (in Alfred's case) the bathroom every few hours. Arthur found that through the magic, he didn't feel the need to relieve himself. Which made things much simpler, as he didn't really know how the whole bathroom situation would work out with him the size that he was.

They spent the whole day like that, and Arthur finally fell asleep during the opening credits of Iron Man. Hearing very light snores, Alfred looked down to see him sleeping on his stomach.

"Gah! The movie barely started!" he mumbled, gently taking him and carrying him up to his room, where he placed him on the pillow again and covered him with the blanket.

Arthur mumbled something as he was carefully set down, and then settled into the blankets. Alfred looked at him for a moment before he left the room and went downstairs to finish the movie. When it finally ended, he had fallen asleep on the couch.

Arthur woke up slowly the next morning. He was alone. Smiling to himself, he slid down the blanket to the floor again and made his way to the staircase. At the top, he paused and listened. He could hear Alfred's light snores from the living room, so he started down, using the same method he had with the bookshelf. Every time he heard the slightest noise, he pressed himself into a corner and waited for the disturbance to pass.

Alfred woke up and rubbed his eyes. He glanced at the clock and saw it was about 8:35 am. Mumbling a curse, he got up and started for the stairs to go check on Arthur.

Arthur, meanwhile, froze when he heard the larger man getting up. He huddled deep into the corner of the stairs and watched Alfred with wide eyes as he passed. Luckily, the other didn't spot him. The moment he disappeared over the top of the stairs, Arthur hurried down, deliberating momentarily on where to go before running over to the living room. He made his way to the bookshelf he had been running for the other day, and slid underneath it. He hoped that if Alfred couldn't find him, after a while he would get bored, give up searching, and leave.

Alfred entered Arthur's bedroom and padded over to the bed. He pulled the blanket off the pillow. "Wakey, wakey, Iggy-" But when he didn't see anything he paled. "England?!" He searched around the bed, and then the entire room before stepping out into the hall. "ENGLAND?!" He cursed to himself, worried that he might have stepped on the tiny nation, or that Arthur had gotten stuck somewhere. "Holy shit- England?!"

* * *

**A/N**: Yay, Arthur's running away and hiding! Again... /shot

Well, we'll see where this time takes us...


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**: A longer chapter for you guys this time. I'm going to try and make each chapter longer, but we'll see what happens. More cursing in this one...

* * *

Arthur heard his yells and smiled to himself. He dashed out from under the bookshelf, climbed onto the first shelf, and squeezed in between some books to the very back of the shelf. He thought it would be a better hiding place.

Alfred searched the entire top floor, every little place that seemed legitimate for Arthur to hide in. But when he found nothing, he went downstairs and collapsed onto the couch, hugging a pillow.

"Holy shit, fuck I'm so stupid, what if he got hurt or something?! Shit, shit, shit, I can't call the fucking police or anything- Fuck! I lost him, goddamn." he moaned, burying his head into the pillow and trying to decide what to do next.

When Arthur heard all that, he considered coming out, but no. He would be fine by himself, if only Alfred would leave him. _'Just go home, you gigantic idiot...'_ he thought, very carefully shifting to make himself more comfortable.

Alfred suddenly got up and threw the pillow down. "If you can hear me, England, please say something!" When he didn't hear anything, he started to search the living room, looking behind the bookshelf, on the shelves, under the couch, and any other place Arthur might hide in. When he still didn't find anything, he went into the kitchen.

Arthur stayed absolutely still when Alfred was searching the bookshelf, and when he finally left, he breathed a sigh of relief. He squeezed back out from behind the books and ran under the couch. His thought process was simple: Alfred had already searched there, so he was unlikely to do so again. He huddled down by one of the couch legs and waited.

Alfred returned from the kitchen, cursing and hitting the doorframe. "Fuck…what if he's hurt?" he thought aloud. "I probably missed something…" He walked over to the bookshelf to search again.

"Bloody hell-" Arthur whispered as Alfred walked back in.

He was suddenly immensely glad he had moved. He glanced around underneath the couch for a potential way out. The opposite side was close to the doorway. Silent as a ghost, he darted across and huddled down by the couch leg nearest the door. He just needed Alfred to be occupied so he could slip out.

Alfred couldn't find anything by the bookshelf, so he walked over to the couch and lied down, looking under it.

_'Shit!'_ Arthur thought, laying down and trying to make himself as small as possible. He barely breathed, hoping that Alfred wouldn't see him.

Alfred looked around carefully, and when he was just about to get up, he spotted a figure in the darkness. "Holy shit- England?!"

Arthur didn't move, didn't speak, he barely breathed. _'No, Alfred, you don't see me, it was just a trick of your mind, just get up and go…'_ he thought desperately.

Alfred reached out and carefully pulled him out from under the couch. "Are you okay, are you hurt?!"

Arthur struggled furiously against him. "Yes, I'm fine, so put me down, damn you!"

Alfred stared at him, not loosening his grip. "Is your arm okay?! Why the fuck are you cursing at me, I thought you fucking DIED!"

"It WAS fine until you squeezed it again!" Arthur snapped. "But forget it and PUT ME DOWN! I'm not dead, as you can see, and I won't die in my own house! So just let me go and leave!" He was yelling now, and still struggling, ignoring the pain in his arm.

Alfred loosened his hold a bit. "Holy shit, calm down- why didn't you answer when I fucking called? I THOUGHT YOU FUCKING DIED!"

"Ever thought that I didn't WANT to answer?" Arthur snapped, then sighed, trying to calm down. "I get you thought I died, but I didn't, and I'm fine." he said, quieter this time. "Alfred, you don't even have a change of clothes, and you said yourself you were bored. So put me down and get the bloody hell out of here."

Alfred placed him on the ground, his fingers still fencing him in. _'Why would you not wanna answer?'_ he almost thought out lout, looking at Arthur. "Why do you want me to leave, I just wanna help…"

Arthur crossed his arms. "I don't need your help."

"You will, and when you do, if I'm not here, you could get hurt and even die! We went over this, remember?"

"I remember, and my position is still the same. I don't need your help."

"And what if you get hurt and you can't move or something? What are you gonna do, lay there for a whole week?"

"If I have to."

"Fine. Fuck you, hate me all you want, I'm staying." Alfred replied, letting go of him and standing up.

Arthur immediately ran back under the couch, well out of Alfred's reach. "Stay then! But I'm staying here!" he yelled.

Alfred shrugged. "Do what y'want." He went over to the couch and sat down on it, pulling a blanket over himself as he turned the TV on. From there on, he planned to stay solely to help him if he needed it.

Arthur slid down the wall into a sitting position. There was no way he was caving first.

Alfred made no move to check on him as he found a movie on some random channel and watched.

After a few minutes, Arthur crept out from under the couch and made his way to the kitchen. He was getting thirsty, and getting some water for himself didn't seem like that big of a problem. He stared up at the counter for a moment before performing a quick lifting spell. He was about halfway up when the spell lost its power and he went crashing down.

"Fucking- Bloody hell-" he gasped out. Of course he landed on his injured arm. He lay there for a while, gritting his teeth against the pain.

Alfred had watched him leave the room from the corner of his eye, and when he heard the small crash, he stood up. "You okay England?!"

"I-I'm fine!" Arthur shouted to him, sitting up slowly and cradling his injured arm against his stomach.

Alfred hesitated before he got up and peered into the kitchen. When he saw Arthur on the floor, he immediately ran over and helped him up, placing him gently on his palm.

"Fine my ass…" he muttered, carefully placing him onto the table. He disappeared for a while and returned to sit in front of him. He had a thin white strip of cloth in his right hand, and he gently picked up Arthur's hurt arm up between his left thumb and index finger and started to make him a make-shift sling.

Arthur immediately jerked his arm back, biting back a groan of pain. "I said I was fine, didn't I?"

Alfred poked him in the chest, pressing him back against a nearby teapot. "Do that again and I'll fucking tie you down and leave you in that cage upstairs." he growled, letting the image sink in before he drew his finger back and resumed his work on the sling.

Arthur pulled away once more. "You wouldn't. You said you wouldn't."

"I can, and I will do it, whether I'm that kind of person or fucking not." Alfred shot back forcefully, as he grabbed Arthur's arm again and tied the sling down on top of his shoulder. He worked very carefully in order not to hurt him further. After a while he leaned back, smiling at his handiwork before he stood. "What'd you come in here for anyways? I'll get it for you."

Arthur pulled at the sling, trying to get it off. He felt ridiculous in it, and could barely move his arm. "I just wanted some water…" he muttered.

Alfred nodded and went over to the fridge, where he got some water out. He spent a few seconds debating on how to give it to him before he poured some into the cap and handed it to the little nation.

Arthur finally got the sling off, and he dumped the cloth over the edge of the table. "Thank you, I suppose." he said quietly, and took a long drink of the water.

Alfred watched the cloth fall to the ground, but he just bit his lip and stalked out of the kitchen with a small "Mhm." as a reply.

"Hey-" Arthur stopped himself as he watched Alfred leave. He was stuck on the table with no way to get down. And his arm was hurting more, now that it was no longer in the sling.

Alfred heard the shout and couldn't help but stop. "Yeah?"

"N-Nothing." Arthur said. He dragged the cap over to the middle of the table. Pulling his sleeve up to expose the bruised skin, he lay down next to it and lowered his arm into the cold water, hoping it would help with the pain.

Alfred hesitated. "You sure?"

"No…" Arthur muttered. "Y-Yes." he said, louder this time.

"…Is that a yes or no?"

Arthur lifted his arm out of the water, as the cold wasn't helping at all, and patted it dry. "Could you move me somewhere lower?" he asked. "A-And maybe make me another sling for my arm?"

Alfred walked back into the kitchen and didn't know whether to smile to himself or not. He picked the piece of cloth off the ground and quickly and carefully worked to create a new sling. When he was done, he held out his hand next to Arthur.

Wordlessly, Arthur climbed on, careful of his arm, and settled down into the middle of it.

"Where do you wanna go?" Alfred spoke for the first time in a while.

"Someplace not high up."

Alfred stared at him. "That explains nothing." he said as he placed him on the ground.

Arthur began walking away from him. "Thank you. You can go back to watching TV, or whatever you were doing."

"What are you gonna do?"

Arthur shrugged, not looking back. "I think I'll go read in the library."

Alfred snickered, raising a hand to try and muffle his laugh. "Mkay…"

When Arthur heard it, he spun around and glared up at him. "You find something funny about that?"

Alfred dramatically looked _down_ at him. "N-No…" he mumbled, still trying to muffle his laughter.

Arthur merely raised an eyebrow and turned around, continuing on his way. "Idiot…" he muttered. Alfred followed him. When he noticed that, he scowled. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Making sure I don't needa make you a cast as you _try_ to _open_ the book." Alfred replied, looking around the room.

"Sh-Shut up!"

Arthur walked over to one of the low shelves and chose a random book. Slipping back to the end of the shelf, he pushed it slowly out, and then tried opening the cover. It took him a few tries, but he finally got it open.

Alfred scanned the titles of the books on the higher shelves. "And ya sure that's the one y'wanna read?"

It wasn't really, but Arthur would have to make do with it for now. "Yes, of course." he replied.

Alfred smirked in return. "I'll pass you a different one."

"No thank you."

Alfred shrugged. "Mkay then." He walked out of the library. "Call if you need anything." he called over his shoulder before settling on the couch as the commercials ended.

"As if that would ever happen." Arthur muttered, settling down on the book.

After about an hour, though, he grew bored and wandered back to the living room doorway. He sat down there and watched Alfred, waiting until he got noticed.

Alfred turned after a while, and jumped when he saw the small figure. "Holy shit- sup. You got bored?"

Arthur nodded. "A bit."

"…Wanna watch TV with me?" Alfred didn't really have anything else to offer, and he didn't expect him to agree anyways.

"N-" Arthur paused to consider his other options, which were extremely limited. "I guess."

Alfred patted the cushion on his right, motioning for him to come over.

"And how exactly am I supposed to get up there?" Arthur asked, but walked over to the couch.

Alfred then reached down and opened his palm for him to climb up. Arthur climbed on, leaning back against his fingers. He was then pulled up and deposited on the couch next to him.

"So, what are we watching?"

"Umm…Big Bang Theory."

Arthur groaned softly. "Wonderful…"

Alfred glared at him. "It's good!" He placed the remote down next to him. "Here then, change it if you want."

Arthur absently flipped through the channels, but when he couldn't find anything better, he left it at the original program.

Alfred grinned at him. "Ha!"

Arthur glared. "There's nothing better."

"Suuuuuuuuuuuure." Alfred replied, leaning back against the couch.

His movement caused the whole couch to move a bit, and Arthur slid down the pillow to crash against his leg.

"Damnit…" he muttered as he began climbing back up.

Alfred grabbed him around the torso and moved him to his knee.

"W-Why here?" Arthur asked, but got comfortable all the same.

In response, Alfred picked him up again and moved him to his foot, which he raised into the air.

Arthur desperately tried to find something to hold onto. "Alfred! W-What are you doing?!" he shouted.

"Dunno, I'm bored too." Alfred moved his foot to the side.

Arthur suddenly remembered something. "Hey, if you put me down, I'll tell you where I keep the video games."

Alfred plucked him off his foot and placed him on his shoulder. "What video games?"

Arthur grabbed onto the collar of his sweatshirt. "The ones you brought for me a while ago. I believe your reason was 'to get me to be more fun' or something along those lines."

Alfred laughed. "You still have them?" he asked as he took him down again and placed him on his palm, holding him high in the air with the rest of his arm at a steep angle.

Arthur winced as the fabric was ripped out of his grip, and then he grasped at Alfred's fingers to steady himself. "Yes, now take me down."

"Why are you telling me about them again?" He moved Arthur back to his foot.

"You said you were bored."

Alfred moved his foot to the side, closer to the couch. "Where are they?"

Arthur jumped for the couch and just barely made it. "The last door on the left down the hall."

Alfred picked him up again, helping him get up. "But what are you gonna do if I'm playing? I don't think you'll be able to play too much…"

"Like I would want to play. Just leave me on the ground or something."

"Mkay." Alfred set him down. He traveled down the hall to find the games, and when he did he came back.

"You're going to play here?"

Alfred looked around. "Well, this is the best TV here…unless you're watching Big Bang…" he snickered.

"Hell no! Just keep the volume down. And throw me a pillow."

Alfred did as he asked and started plugging the game in. Arthur meanwhile, with some difficulty, dragged the pillow over to in front of the table and settled down on it.

"You're gonna watch?" Alfred climbed back onto the couch as MAG started.

"Nothing better to do…"

Alfred pursed his lips and started the game, silently cursing every time the screen exploded with red. He turned the volume up and down during different occasions. Arthur winced whenever the volume went up, but he had to admit the American was pretty decent at the game. Alfred won the first round, surprised Arthur was still there.

"So, am I worth watching?"

"I suppose you aren't horrible." Arthur allowed, looking away briefly from both Alfred and the game.

Alfred grinned at his answer and went back to the game as it restarted.

Arthur watched the screen splatter again. "You sure die a lot." he commented.

"Shut up, I don't! I'm just hurt!"

Alfred's character then hid behind a tent and pulled out a miniature item-gun-thing, which he shot himself with. After a moment his health shot up from 60 to 80. He suddenly ran forward and up a hill, back to his base. The place he had just been exploded behind him, and he was followed by a volley of gunfire.

"You died before."

"Course I died before, twice. They ganged up on me-"

He shut up for a moment as a group of enemies surrounded him, but none of them shot for some reason. Alfred narrowed his eyes as he zoomed out and waited a moment before throwing a grenade at three of them and then turning to shoot the others. Then he died, with a +25 appearing on the screen, 5 points for every kill. He scowled and put the remote down for the 19 seconds he had to wait before respawning.

"You died."

"Thanks. Didn't realize."

"You're welcome." Arthur replied sweetly.

Alfred respawned, and he immediately ran into the enemies' base. The game ended a while later with Alfred's team losing and him at the top of the team's killing chart.

"Well, at least you can kill people. Good to know."

Alfred glared at him. "And think strategically. Plus, I saved 4 people."

"I'm sure their pixel asses are grateful."

"Screw you."

The game restarted, and Alfred was up in one of the highest buildings, sniping any of the enemies he saw on the other side, as well as any other snipers.

Grinning to himself as he watched, Arthur settled deeper into the cushion. "I'm hungry. Get me food."

Alfred paused the game immediately. "'Get me food'? Seriously? 'Please' would be great."

"Get me food…please. Hope to it, American."

Alfred narrowed his eyes at him. "American? Hop to it? Really?"

"You are American, are you not? So could you get me some food?" Arthur raised an eyebrow at him.

Alfred got up and stalked into the kitchen. He looked around for food, and he returned with a sandwich. He ripped it into little bits and placed it in front of Arthur.

"There you go, Brit. Eat, eat, hop to it."

"Thank you." Arthur lifted a piece of the sandwich and began eating.

Alfred restarted his game.

After he had finished eating most of the pieces, Arthur began thinking about what could have gone wrong with the potion. He had measured all of the ingredients so carefully, even the hair-

"Shit." he said, bolting upright.

Alfred paused the game again. "What?"

"I think I just realized what I did wrong. It's not a big deal, though. Go back to your game."

"What'd you do wrong?"

"I…err...may have added some of my hair into the potion instead of…yours."

Alfred grabbed at his hair. "What?! Eww, I drank your hair?!"

"Oh, calm down, it was dissolved."

"EW! That's still- EW!"

"Well, I would have had to drink your hair!"

"So?! You WANTED TO!"

"It seemed like a necessary sacrifice!"

"FOR?!"

"Revenge…" Arthur shrugged again and lay back down.

"You never told me for what!"

"I told you already, I was angry." Arthur said patiently, wishing Alfred would just drop the subject.

"At me, but still! Why?!"

"Take a look at history. Take a look at yourself. And then take your pick."

Alfred gritted his teeth. "Seriously?! Rev War, still? And what the hell does look at yourself mean?!"

"Yes, still. And a whole lot of other stuff. It means what it means."

"Why still? It means what it means- can you fucking explain for once?!"

"Because still!" Arthur yelled. "And if you weren't so bloody dense, I wouldn't have to explain!"

"I'm not dense! I just don't get your stupid logic! Why still? I told you before!"

"Your why is stupid. And you are. You are so dense."

"I'm not! Can you stop finding excuses and ways to insult me and just fucking explain, damnit?!"

"I am explaining. Not my problem you can't understand it."

"You're not explaining it!"

"I just explained it!"

"I'm dense. So that's why you hate me?"

"No. Your denseness I could live with. And I don't hate you."

"Then why else would you need revenge? And you still didn't give any other reason!"

"I just told you to look at history and yourself and bloody take your pick!"

"Rev War, WWI, WWII, what the fuck else?! And what from it?!"

Arthur facepalmed and turned away from him. "You are so blind…" he muttered.

"Don't ignore me, damnit!"

In response, Arthur hopped off the pillow and made his way to the library. He leaned tiredly against the doorframe for a moment before slowly walking across to the book. He tried reading it, but found he couldn't concentrate that well.

"Well fuck you too!" Alfred replied. He put the remote down and cursed, leaning his head back against the couch. He suddenly got up and put his coat on, walking out of the house.

* * *

**A/N**: Oh dear... These two can't seem to decide exactly what they want, can they? XD If you happen to see any errors, don't hesitate to point them out~!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**: Chapter 6! ...And more arguing... XD

* * *

Arthur's head shot up as he heard the door slam shut. "ALFRED?!" he called, half-hoping to hear a reply, but not really expecting one. He leaned his forehead against the page for a moment before mentally slapping himself and reading with renewed, forced, concentration.

Alfred came back half an hour later, taking his wet coat off and hanging it up on a hanger in the closet. He traveled into the kitchen where he started to empty the bags he had brought.

Arthur immediately turned around when he heard the door open again. "A-Alfred?" he called.

"Yeah?" Alfred called back as he left the kitchen and went into the bathroom with the last bag.

Arthur lowered his eyes back to the book, but instead of reading, he just stared at the words. "Nothing."

"Awesome. Didn't think you gave a fuck at all." Alfred replied, leaving the bathroom with new clothes on. He was now wearing fluffy pants and a new t-shirt. He fixed his glasses as he went back into the kitchen.

"I-I don't." Arthur said, but from his tone, it was clear the statement wasn't true.

"Whatever." Alfred started walking around, using the oven and opening the fridge a few times.

Arthur walked to the doorway of the kitchen and leaned against it. "W-Where did you go?"

"Why would you care?" Alfred simply asked, ignoring the smaller figure as he placed a kettle on the stove.

"I wasn't sure you were coming back…"

"Mm. Neither was I." He went to a cupboard and pulled out some plates.

"So where did you go?"

"Why do you care? I went outside." Alfred replied as he searched all the cabinets and cupboards until he found some cups.

Arthur looked down. "I do care." he said quietly.

"Hm. Surprise, surprise." Alfred opened the oven and pulled something out of it, throwing it on the plate before quickly sticking his finger in his mouth, cursing as he closed the oven.

Arthur turned away, silently going to the living room and lying down on the pillow. He found a crumb of bread about the size of a ball and threw it back and forth between his hands listlessly.

"Are you hungry?" Alfred's voice came from the kitchen.

Arthur hesitated. "A bit…"

"C'mon, then." Alfred placed the plate with the freshly-baked pizza onto the table along with two mugs of tea, one of which was decidedly smaller than the other.

Arthur walked over to the doorway and paused, watching him.

Alfred looked at him as he kneeled down by his chair and held out his hand. "Well? I'm not planning to kill you or anything…"

"I wasn't sure, after before." Arthur said quietly, but walked up to him and settled into his palm.

Alfred raised him to the table, ignoring his words. He made his way back to his seat and cut the pizza up into little pieces before placing some of them on Arthur's plate.

"You made tea?"

"No, magic potion." Alfred replied sarcastically.

"Very funny. That was bloody hilarious." Arthur said, matching the sarcasm.

Alfred flashed him a brilliant smile before going to start eating.

Arthur took a sip of his tea and nearly gagged on it. "I-It's…an interesting flavor…" he managed to choke out.

"Oh." Alfred took the teacup and spilled out the tea before refilling it with Arthur's usual Earl Grey. "Sorry. I had to put a shitload of sugar in mine."

Arthur took a more careful sip this time, and, still wincing, he nodded. "A bit better."

"A bit?! I tried, okay? At least I could make something without burning it!"

"I can cook!" Arthur snapped.

"Mmhmm…" Alfred responded, taking a bite of his pizza.

Arthur took one look at the pieces before him and pushed the plate away. "I'm not eating that."

"You didn't even try it yet!"

"I have no wish to die of toxic poisoning."

"I could say the same thing about YOUR fucking 'food'! You could at least TRY it, damnit!"

"My food- there's nothing wrong with my food! You eat it readily enough! And I won't try this oil-filled monstrosity."

"…Can you please try it?"

Glaring at the slice and silently cursing the larger nation out, Arthur took a tiny bit of cheese off the piece of pizza. He placed it in his mouth, and with a pained expression, chewed slowly and swallowed.

"Well you're not dead yet, are you?" Alfred finished his own food and placed the dishes in the sink.

"Not yet." Arthur replied, pushing the plate away again.

"Well, sorry. I tried." Alfred muttered, washing his plate. He took the mug of tea he had made himself and left the kitchen, going back to the living room. He locked the front door and sat down on the couch.

"I appreciate that, Alfred." Arthur said quietly. He quickly forced down a bit more of the pizza and drank the rest of his tea. He then stood, trying to figure out a way down.

"Call if y'need help." Alfred muttered.

"…Help?" Arthur called after a moment.

Alfred got up immediately and walked over, holding a hand out.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Arthur murmured as he slowly stepped on.

"What doesn't matter?" Alfred asked as he lowered him to the ground.

Arthur didn't get off. "My reasons."

Alfred didn't answer for a moment. "Well? Where the fuck you wanna go?" he asked eventually.

Arthur climbed off his hand after a moment. "I don't know." He wanted to go to the library, but after a few steps, it seemed as if he didn't have the strength to walk. "I-I'm sorry."

"For?" Alfred picked him up again and carried him to the couch, placing him onto the mess of blankets.

Arthur shifted uncomfortably on the pile of fabric. "What I said earlier…" he said eventually.

Alfred hesitated for a moment. "M'sorry too. I went to Shop Rite. That's it."

Arthur laughed bitterly. "What the bloody hell are you apologizing for?" He fell silent for a few seconds. "Why didn't you leave?"

"I did, I went to Shop Rite."

"I meant, why did you come back?"

"Well, I went to get food for _you_ cuz you're out! I wasn't going for anything else…" He stayed quiet for a moment. "Did you care?"

"Yes." Arthur looked down at his hands and twisted them together. "I was a bit worried you wouldn't come back."

"Cuz without me you could die~!"

"I probably could." Arthur didn't really feel like arguing. "Thank you, though."

"…Mhm…." Alfred suddenly grabbed him and placed him on his stomach, near his fuzzy pants.

Arthur looked up at him. "Why…?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you move me?"

"Cuz you're cold."

"I-I'm not!" Arthur protested indignantly. But he snuggled closer to Alfred nevertheless.

Alfred handed him the remote too. "Well, you can choose."

Arthur flipped through the channels again. As usual, nothing good was on at the moment. Big Bang Theory was apparently having a marathon, so he just switched to that.

Alfred glanced at him. "Do you like this show or…?"

"There's nothing else on. And you seem to enjoy it." Arthur muttered. The last part was added on as an afterthought.

"Cuz it's funny." Alfred replied, grinning at him. "So, what'd you do when I was gone?"

"I read. Well, I tried to."

"Tried? To read? You? Sounds like something I would do…"

"Shu- I was distracted! I thought you'd left me!"

"And why'd you care, you didn't earlier…." Alfred's voice died down at the mention of that morning.

"You don't know that." Arthur said, shifting nervously again.

"Well I know what you said." A few seconds later, he moved the little nation back to the blankets and walked into the kitchen.

"People don't always mean what they say!" Arthur called after him, lying down on his stomach on the blankets and closing his eyes.

"Then why didn't you say what you meant?!" A few minutes later, Alfred returned with a mug and the tiny teacup, both filled with marshmallows and hot cocoa.

"When have I ever said what I meant, especially to you?" Arthur chuckled bitterly again.

"Exactly. You can start, y'know." Alfred handed him the cup.

"Start what?" Arthur accepted it and took a bite of a marshmallow.

"Telling me what you mean."

"I think not."

Alfred shrugged. "It'll fuck you up in the future, man." he replied, settling on the couch and placing Arthur onto his stomach again.

"Like it hasn't already? But thanks, I'd like to keep my secrets and reasoning to myself for now."

Alfred shrugged again, and with the empty mug on the coffee table in front of them, he started to doze off. Arthur noticed him drifting off and poked the muscle beneath him.

"Hey, Alfred. It won't be comfortable here; you might want to go upstairs. You can sleep on my bed if you want."

There was no answer, as Alfred was completely asleep by that point in time. Slightly annoyed, Arthur jumped up and down on his stomach, and when that didn't work, he began climbing up to his shoulder. First he hit him lightly on the cheek, and when he still didn't wake up, he stood on the larger nation's shoulder and tugged on his ear.

"Alfred, WAKE UP!" he yelled into it.

Alfred's eyes flew open and he winced. "Holy f- why the fuck are you waking me up?" he asked sleepily.

"You'd be more comfortable on my bed."

Alfred turned his head away. "Mhm….okay…whatevs you say, Iggy…" he muttered, closing his eyes again.

Arthur tugged on his ear again, harder this time. "No! Alfred, go up and lie down on my bed! And take me with you!"

"Goddamn, can't we stay on the couch? It's good here too…" Alfred muttered.

"I suppose…if you're comfortable. But at least lie down!" Arthur said as he climbed back down to his stomach.

"Uuuuhhhgghhh." Alfred fell down into the cushions, one hand guarding Arthur so he stayed on his stomach. Immediately after, he was asleep again. Happy for the warmth given off by the hand over him, Arthur slowly nodded off as well.

The next morning, Alfred woke up first again, groaning and shifting around a bit, but not opening his eyes.

Arthur was awake instantly as the ground beneath him started to move. He had opened his mouth to yell at Alfred when he slipped off the larger man's stomach and landed next to his side, right up against his body. What came out of his mouth instead was a low gasp.

Alfred turned his head to the right, further into the couch, and finally stopped moving as he settled down once more.

By this time, Arthur was trapped halfway beneath him. His uninjured arm and shoulder was pinned between Alfred and the couch. It wasn't exactly painful, but it was uncomfortable. He tried moving it out, but wasn't able to. As long as Alfred didn't move again, he would be fine.

Alfred muttered something in his sleep, followed moments later by a slur of "England…"

Arthur froze. What was he dreaming about?! "Yes?" he called loudly.

"Oh, waddup, you're awake too?" Alfred's hand was patting his stomach, trying to find the smaller person. "Wait, where the fuck are you?!" His eyes flew open.

"Don't move!" Arthur yelled. "I'm by your side, on the couch."

"What? Why can't I move?" Although he asked, Alfred froze, making sure not to even make the smallest twitch.

"Because I'm half-pinned under you. And I kind of don't want to die yet, so don't move."

Alfred cursed out loud before he slowly raised his waist up, as well as most of his back. "Can you get out now?"

Arthur slid his arm and shoulder out and moved a safe distance away from him. "Yes, I'm out."

"You okay?!" Alfred carefully lay back down and picked him up.

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

Alfred placed him on his stomach again. "Holy shit, I'm sorry Iggy!"

"Don't worry about it." Arthur repeated, more forcefully this time. "Nothing happened."

"I almost killed you!" Alfred sat up, holding him. After a moment, he asked, "Are you hungry?"

"But you didn't kill me." Arthur sighed. "I don't mean to bring this up, but do you now see how dangerous you are? And yes, I'm a bit hungry."

Alfred sat up, ignoring the first comment. "What do you want? To eat…" he asked quietly, placing him on the table.

"What did you buy yesterday?"

"A lot of stuff…I can make pancakes or, like, eggs or something."

"Pancakes sound good."

Alfred immediately got to making them, and about 15 minutes later he had made at least ten of them. He cut one into small pieces for Arthur.

"Thank you." Arthur said when he received the plate. He picked up a piece and took a bite.

Alfred sat down across from him. He poured a lot of syrup on his own stack, and began eating as well.

"Where do you put all that?" Arthur asked, slightly horrified. "No wonder you're getting a bit chubby…"

Alfred stopped mid-bite. "What? I'm not! Mattie eats more syrup than me anyways!"

"You eat more in general." Arthur started on another piece. "And hamburgers are much more fattening than syrup."

Alfred pursed his lips. "I'm on a diet, okay? And I don't eat that many burgers- Plus I work out!"

"Mhm, of course you do." Arthur commented, laying back on the table and looking up at the ceiling.

"Hey, I work out better than you!" Alfred exclaimed, taking the dirty dishes to the sink.

"Y-You do not! Then how come I'm skinnier?"

"Skinny doesn't matter! It's muscle!" Alfred came back to the table and picked him up. "And I'm a lot stronger than you~!"

"What muscle? And now obviously you are!"

Alfred narrowed his eyes at him. "Now, and always. We can arm wrestle if y'want, Iggy, when you're back to normal. I might hurt you by accident, though."

"Brute strength isn't always the best answer." Arthur said, tapping his head. "Sometimes you need cunning. As Machiavelli said in 'The Prince', you have to be the lion AND the fox."

"Who says it? Machavilli or whatevs, right?" Alfred placed him back down. "I'm still stronger than you, though."

"Perhaps…" Arthur scrambled away from him, in case he wanted to demonstrate that strength.

Alfred laughed as he watched him move away. "Calm down, I don't hurt the weak." He gently took him by the torso again, walking with him to the living room.

"I'm not weak!" Arthur said, hitting at Alfred's hand.

"Yeah, and that hurt _a lot_." Alfred chuckled, placing him on the coffee table.

Arthur huffed and shifted, so he was sitting cross-legged on the glass, facing away from him.

"So what are we doing today, again?" Alfred asked, falling onto the couch.

"Don't know. You decide."

Alfred looked around. "Well, I was going to go to the amusement park today," He looked at Arthur. "But I can't really take you with me."

"Go. Have fun. Just leave me some food, water, and a few books. I'll be fine."

"No, I don't wanna leave you alone. What if someone breaks in? Or France comes or something?"

Arthur stared at him, horrified at the mention of France. "I-I'll be fine. If anything, I'll hide." he snapped, composing himself.

"…I don't know. I'd rather not leave you, Artie…"

"Do what you want. I couldn't stop you anyways. But I will be fine."

Alfred shook his head. "I'll stay. I don't wanna leave you alone…"

"If you really want to go, then go. If not, then stay. It makes no difference to me." The last sentence was a lie, and he half-hoped the American would see that.

Alfred fell silent at his words for a moment. "Oh…mkay…well, I'll stay anyways…" He turned to face the couch and yawned.

"You're still sleepy?"

"Mhm…" he muttered. "It's like, 9 in the morning."

"So? High time to be up!" Arthur jumped across to the couch and landed next to him.

"No it's not…" Alfred said, falling asleep.

Arthur walked over to him, a slight tremor still going through him as he approached the much larger person. He leaned against Alfred's side, up by his ribs, and allowed himself to relax for a while.

Alfred woke slightly and flinched at the sudden small touch, but he reminded himself that it was just Arthur and went back to sleep.

Arthur, a few minutes later, got up suddenly and dragged the remote over to where he had been sitting. He settled down again and turned the TV on. He turned down the volume and watched random shows as he waited for Alfred to wake up.

Alfred stirred an hour later, and stretched. He yawned again, but seemed more awake now.

Arthur successfully dodged his arms and turned the TV off. "Are you fully awake now?"

"I dunno, I can still go back to sleep, if that's what you mean."

"I would rather you not." Arthur said as he jumped back over to the coffee table.

"Nieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh…." Alfred moaned, sitting up. "Fine, what do you need?"

"Some tea would be nice."

Alfred got up and groaned, going into the kitchen. "But you don't even like my tea."

"Sure, it's watery like Poland's, but it's the best tea I'm going to get for a while."

Alfred glared at him before making the tea, and bringing it back to him in his tiny teacup. "Here."

Arthur finished the cup quickly, then set it on the table and jumped back across to Alfred. "Do you think we could go out somewhere? For a walk maybe?" he asked, settling down on the cushions near him.

* * *

**A/N**: Not really much happening at the end of this, but I didn't want to drag the chapter out too much, and this seemed like the best place for a break. Next chapter Iggy goes out!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**: Hey guys! Here's a _really_ long chapter for ya!

* * *

Alfred looked down at him. "So a squirrel could attack and eat you?"

Arthur crossed his arms. "A squirrel won't attack or eat me. I'll be in your pocket or on your shoulder.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuh huh. You want to be in my pocket?!" He looked down at the sweatshirt pocket in question. "You'll suffocate or something!"

"As long as you don't cover it or put pressure on it I'll be fine." Arthur replied, shrugging. "It's better than being inside all day, stuck with nothing to do."

Alfred sighed. "Fine, but you'll be on my shoulder; I don't wanna kill you in my pocket." He offered his hand to him.

"You wouldn't kill me. Besides, if was on your shoulder the whole time, someone will see me." Arthur said, but walked onto it and settled in the center.

Alfred raised him to his shoulder. "No one will see you."

Arthur stepped onto it and gripped his sweatshirt collar for support. "And how do you know that?"

Alfred shrugged, standing. "People these days look ahead of them, not to the sides."

When he began moving, Arthur pressed himself closer to his neck. "Wherever they're looking, a small person on someone's shoulder will attract attention."

"They won't notice you, Artie." Alfred walked out the door, closing it behind him. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know, a park or something."

Alfred turned his head slightly to glance at him. "We're in London. I have no idea where the hell that is!"

"Just walk around, then. You're bound to come across one sooner or later." Arthur said, flashing a quick glare back in the other's direction.

Alfred sighed, putting his hands in his pockets. "Fiiiiiiiiiine."

They were coming to a more populated street, so Arthur carefully crawled underneath his sweatshirt so he would be less noticeable. He sat down on his shoulder, pressed up against his skin. He still had a pretty good view, while he himself couldn't be seen unless someone looked really closely.

Alfred nodded and smiled at the people who glanced at him, before he spotted a park and turned, going towards it.

"There, that good enough?"

"Yes. Go sit down in a quiet, unoccupied part of it. With grass, if possible."

"Why? That's boring!"

"You didn't think I was going to stay on your shoulder the whole time, did you? I want to walk around a bit."

Alfred sat down in the grass in the middle of the park. "Go ahead."

Arthur jumped down to his lap, and then onto the grass. The green blades came up to above his waist. He walked around for a bit, marveling at the perspective, before lying down in a random spot a few feet away from him. The grass hid him completely.

Alfred had watched him until he disappeared. "Arthur?"

"I'm here." Arthur replied, not moving.

Alfred scanned the area quickly. "Wh-Where are you?!"

"Near you. About two feet away. I'm lying down. I'm fine, so calm down."

Alfred pouted. "Screw you, I just got a bit worried…" His voice ended in a mutter.

Arthur laughed. "Of course you did." But he stood up and moved closer to him all the same. He sat down right next to the larger nation, leaning his back against Alfred's leg.

Alfred sat silent for a bit before sighing. "This is boring, why are we doing this?"

"To get out of the house. Besides, it's nice out."

"And BORING!"

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "So what do you want to do?"

"Not sit and do nothing!" Alfred looked down, silent again. "What's it like? Being small?" he asked finally.

Arthur thought for a moment. "You get a new perspective on life, that's for sure. Everything's big now, even the grass." he said, running a hand over the green blades. "It's also kind of scary. I mean, I can't really do anything, and as you said before, even a bloody squirrel could attack or eat me if it wanted to." He shrugged. "But it's more bearable if you have someone you trust…taking care of you and helping you out."

Alfred listened and nodded. "Uh huh…" He looked around. "It's a shitload of stress for someone like me though!"

"And why would that be?"

"Cuz I gotta fight squirrels away! And they have rabies! And…I don't know whether it's too high, too much, or such for you!"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yes, because you've been fighting off rabid squirrels nonstop since I got this way."

"Shaddup! And other stuff!"

Arthur shrugged. "You've been doing an alright job so far."

"Alright?! It's a lotta work!"

"Fine! So you've done a good job so far. Satisfied?"

"Yup!" Alfred picked him up by the waist. "Can we go now?"

Arthur leaned against his fingers. "Must we?" He looked around. "We just got here, and it's nice out…" He sighed. "But if you really want to go, well, I'll just have to go along with it, won't I?"

Alfred sighed. "Fiiiine." He placed Arthur down on his knee.

Arthur smirked and slid down his leg to the ground. He pushed his way through the grass to a nearby holly bush and began climbing it.

"Whatcha doin'?"

Arthur paused, sitting in a low branch. "What does it look like? I'm climbing."

Alfred moved closer to the bush. "No durr, but why? And why that? It's got really sharp leaves!"

"Don't worry, _Mother_, I'll be careful." Arthur said, smirking. "And I'm climbing it because there's nothing else to climb."

Alfred pursed his lips. "Shut up, kid." He reached over to him and grabbed him, placing him on the ground. He then put his fingers around the little person.

Arthur glared up at him. "What are you doing?" he asked, hitting at Alfred's hand.

"Trying not to be bored." Alfred tightened his grip around him, while digging a hole in the dirt with his other hand. When he was done, he placed Arthur in it.

The hole was too deep for Arthur to get out by himself, but he tried to nevertheless. He kept jumping up, trying to reach the top. "Let me out!"

"You know my answer." Alfred replied as he ripped out a few blades of grass and tied them together. He then poked Arthur with the tip of the last piece. "Here, I'll pull you out."

"It'll rip." Arthur grumbled, but took hold of the grass.

Alfred slowly raised him up and out of the hole. "See, it didn't!" he replied, holding him a few centimeters from the ground.

Arthur let go of the grass and dropped to the ground. He took a look at himself. "And now I'm going to need a bath." he muttered, brushing the dirt off of his clothes.

Alfred laughed, taking hold of his shirt, shaking him lightly. "There!"

Arthur gasped as he was quite roughly rattled, despite the other's attempts at gentleness. "Alfred!" he groaned when it was over. "That didn't help."

Alfred merely snickered. "Yeah it did." he said, his hand digging again. Seconds later, Arthur was placed on the ground once more, this time with a moat around him.

Muttering darkly about certain American idiots, Arthur slid down to the bottom of the still-dry moat, adding another layer of dirt to his person. Damn, that stuff was sticky. He started jumping up again, trying to get out.

"Let me out, I'm not a bloody castle!" he yelled up at the larger figure.

Alfred laughed, pulling a water bottle out of his sweatshirt pocket. He placed Arthur back onto the platform, and poured the water into the moat. "Whoa, that's awesome!" He placed a few twigs and pieces of grass by him. "Here, you can build a bridge!"

Arthur hurled a twig at him, managing to hit him on the shoulder with it. "No! Take me out of here, you git!"

"Nope! Beg." Alfred said, smirking.

"As if!" Arthur snapped. He paused for a moment, weighing his options, and then plunged into the water, swimming to the other side.

Alfred sighed, taking him out and placing him back into the center of the island. "I can do this all day."

"So can I." Arthur declared, jumping right back in.

Alfred glared at him and put him back before grabbing a bunch of rocks and placing them around the edge of the moat, making it impossible for Arthur to climb out, even if he managed to swim across.

Arthur jumped again, trying to climb the rocks but failing. "Blood hell- Alfred, get me out of here!"

"Beg." Alfred replied simply.

Arthur splashed around furiously. "Never!" He began to tire, so he swam back to the island and pulled himself up onto the dirt. He lay there silently, having closed his eyes.

Alfred just snickered and reached in, pulling a patch of the island away. He placed the dirt next to the rocks and watched the water fill in the area he had just taken away.

Arthur opened his eyes when he heard the water coming closer. "Take me out, Alfred!" he snapped, raising his head.

"Nope~!"

Arthur sighed. "…Please?" he asked quietly.

Alfred looked at him. "Hmm?"

"I said please!"

"That's not begging, Iggy!" Alfred said, laughing.

"That's all you're going to get!"

Alfred shrugged. "'Kay, same to you."

"What more do you want?!" Arthur asked, glaring.

"Begging. Please is please." Alfred replied as he pulled away another section of the island.

"'Please' could count as begging."

"That's not even begging!"

"Yes it is!"

"Welp, I want more." Another part disappeared.

The island was growing really small. "Pretty please?" Arthur tried.

Alfred snickered. "Really?"

"What?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's shitty, Iggy. Better!" Alfred took enough of the island away that Arthur couldn't lay down anymore.

Arthur sat up to avoid getting even more wet. "Please Alfred….I'm….begging you." he spat out.

Alfred softened. "Good enough." He picked him up, settling him into his palm as he stood. "I'm taking you home, you needa take a bath."

"I know that, idiot! It's your fault!" Arthur snapped, hitting his hand.

Alfred shook his head. "YOU jumped in the water." He placed Arthur in his hood, where it was warmer, and headed back to the house.

"You made the moat!" Arthur said, rolling around a lot, to get as much water and dirt onto Alfred's hood as possible.

"Dude, calm down there, people are gonna stare at you."

"Like they wouldn't already because of my size. But they won't see me." Arthur replied, snuggling deep into the hood.

"Mhm." He walked into the house, pulling Arthur from the hood and setting him on the bathroom counter, next to the sink. He grabbed a towel from the bathroom closet and tossed it on him.

Arthur cursed as the towel was dropped on him. He slowly climbed out from under it and began cleaning himself off. "Where am I going to bathe?"

"Cup, I guess." Alfred said, coming out of the kitchen with a small, filled teacup. "'Ere you go."

Arthur watched him set it down and pulled off his shirt. "Well? Get out of here and give me some privacy!"

Alfred snickered, leaving the room and going to the bedroom upstairs.

Arthur stripped down and climbed into the teacup. He washed himself quickly, then dried himself off. He washed his clothes as well, then patted them dry. The shirt was still wet, though, despite his best efforts, so he just put on his underwear and pants.

"Alfred?!" he yelled when he was done.

Alfred immediately came back down. "Wha- are you drowning?!"

"No, I'm done." Arthur said, crossing his arms.

"Cool…you plan to walk around half naked now?"

"N-No, of course not! The shirt's just wet, and it's the only one my size." Arthur muttered.

"Ahh…" Alfred took the cup and spilled the water into the sink. He then picked up Arthur and returned to the couch. He suddenly leaned down to poke the smaller man in the chest.

Arthur stumbled back a step. "What was that for?"

Alfred laughed. "Cuz I felt like it." He poked him again.

Arthur sat down heavily this time. "Well stop it!" he snapped, moving away from him.

Alfred pulled him closer, his fingers pushing against Arthur's back as he poked him again. "Nope!" he replied with a smile.

Arthur tried to shield himself with his arms. "Stop it!" he repeated, struggling to get out of his grasp.

Alfred laughed again, poking his cheek so lightly that he barely touched him. "Mhm."

Arthur's hand flew to his cheek in shock as it heated up. He turned away so his back was facing Alfred. "S-Stop it!" he muttered.

Alfred chuckled, turning him around. "Aww, are you blushing?"

"Sh-Shut up! I'm not!" Arthur said loudly, tilting his head down so the other wouldn't be able to see his expression.

"Yeah, ooookay Artie." Alfred leaned back on the couch. "Wanna play a game? I'll, like, make an obstacle course for you and stuff!"

Arthur blinked, then considered his options. "I suppose if there's nothing else to do…but don't go overboard."

Alfred fist pumped as he ran over to the library. Seconds later he started placing books and other stuff in random assortments. He then sat back. "Done! Go Artie!"

Looking and feeling utterly bored, Arthur walked through it, occasionally climbing over a book. He reached a dead end and looked up. "Now what?"

Alfred brightened up. "It's a maze, dummy. Y'gotta restart!"

"I can't even find my way out by now, how do you expect me to bloody start over?" Arthur sat down in the middle of the path. "This is boring."

Alfred pouted. "No, you're boring." He picked him up and showed him the maze from an aerial view. "It's an E, Iggy."

"Why would you make it a sodding E?!"

"For England, idiot." Alfred put him down on the table. "Fine, what do you wanna do, then?"

Arthur went quiet for a while. "Oh…" He went over to the edge of the table and peered down at the maze before jumping off and entering it again. "I can get through it!" he called.

"Course you can, it's easy- and you saw it already!"

"That's the point." Arthur looked up and smirked at him.

Alfred pursed his lips and changed the maze up. "Now we'll see." he said, snickering in turn.

Arthur froze as the books shifted around him. When it was done, he wandered around for a bit before he got bored again. He then slammed himself onto a book, knocking it over. He repeated the process until he finally got out. His shoulder was a little sore, but he smiled. "There. I'm out."

"No, you're a loser." Alfred pulled him back up onto the table. "It was still an E. I just moved one book and made some noise, loser." he laughed.

Arthur turned a little red. "Shut up, git! I'm not a loser!"

Alfred snickered. "Yeah, y'are." He leaned back against the couch.

Arthur jumped onto the couch next to him and began hitting his leg. "I am not!" he shouted.

Alfred looked down at him. "That's a bit pitiful." he smirked.

"Shut up! You wouldn't be much better if you were my size!" He put more energy into the hits.

"Course I would be! I'm awesome, a hero, and strong~!"

"I can say with absolute certainty that you would not be."

"Yeah I would, loser!"

"No you wouldn't! Now shut up!" Arthur said, hitting his leg with all the energy he could muster up.

Alfred merely laughed, picking him up. "You looking for a fight?"

"Bring it on." Arthur challenged, narrowing his eyes.

Alfred poked him. "Boom, you lost."

Arthur squirmed in his grip. "That's not fair! Set me down, you wanker, and then we'll see!"

Alfred laughed again and set him down next to his leg. "There y'go."

Arthur immediately ran towards it and began attacking it. Alfred chuckled, pushing him back onto his back and gently pressing down on him with a pointer finger. "Now what?"

Arthur struggled against the pressure, trying to get up. "This…is…nothing, heh…" he panted.

"Mm." He kept his hold and watched him. "You should just admit defeat, Iggy."

"Never!" Arthur struggled more.

Alfred laughed again, waiting for him to tire out.

Finally, Arthur stilled and simply lay there, breathing heavily. "Stop laughing." he muttered.

"Bring it on, you said?"

Arthur tried one last time to push Alfred's finger off him. "Shut up, I'm not done yet!"

"Uh huh…"

"Let me up and you'll see!"

"You said that last time too, I gave you that chance."

"That wasn't a chance!"

"And it won't be if I do it this time." Alfred snickered.

"Want to bet on that?"

"Sure."

"Fine, then let me up!" Arthur snapped, his mind racing.

Alfred raised an eyebrow and lifted his finger from him.

Immediately Arthur rolled away and jumped from the couch, landing on the ground and sprinting under the couch. He needed to strategize. He nearly tripped over something, and when he reached out for the object he nearly stabbed himself over. A needle. "Perfect." he muttered, coming out from under the side of the couch, the needle held behind his back. "I'm ready." he called.

Alfred laughed. "Your plan was to run under the couch?"

"Of course not!" Arthur said, getting slightly red. "Now get out here."

Alfred sighed, getting off the couch and kneeling down in front of him. "'Kay, little dude."

Arthur smirked and held the needle like a sword. "Bring it on." he repeated.

Alfred laughed again. "Really? That won't help you much."

"It can still draw blood. And stop bloody laughing!"

"Mmm." He grabbed the needle, raising Arthur up with it. "And now?"

Arthur twisted and jerked violently, and the needle slipped out of Alfred's grasp. He landed on the other's lap and drove the point of the needle into his other wrist. He immediately sprang away, yanking the needle out and tumbling to the floor, the breath knocked out of him.

Alfred grunted slightly. "Ow-fuck! C'mon, Artie, really?" He poked at the blood. "That was REALLY pathetic." He picked him up again, this time without the needle.

Arthur grabbed at it, but it was quickly out of his reach. "So? You're bleeding." he muttered, squirming in his grasp.

"So? I still won, Artie." Alfred replied, still holding him tight.

"No! You didn't!" Arthur yelled, hitting his hand.

Alfred tightened his grip. "I did, and you need to stop trying to convince yourself differently." he said simply as he took the needle and looked at it.

Arthur grunted as the pressure on his body increased. "I'm not convincing myself of anything, I'm stating a fact."

Alfred sighed. "Whatever." He dropped him on the couch cushion as he stood and put the needle atop a high shelf.

Arthur stood up and went to the edge of the couch. "No fair!" he yelled.

"No fair my ass." He walked back, sitting down and ignoring the smaller man.

Arthur went over to the other side of the couch and sat down, pulling his legs close to his chest.

"What, are you mad?" Alfred asked.

"No, ignoring you."

Alfred choked out a laugh. "You do that." He put the TV on, crossing his legs as he started to watch.

"I will!" Arthur snapped, glaring at the TV. After a while though, he looked up at him. "Alfred?" he asked quietly.

Alfred didn't look at him. "What?"

Arthur hesitated. "…I'm a bit bored." he said after a while.

"Do something then."

"Alone?"

"What? You suddenly wanna do something with me?"

Arthur went over to him and climbed up onto his lap. He went over to his wrist and lightly touched the place where the needle had gone in. "Are you okay?"

Alfred flinched a bit at the touch. "I'm fine."

"Alright..." Arthur said and settled down on his lap.

Alfred glanced down at him, but then turned back to the TV.

Arthur poked him. "Yes, I guess I do."

"What?"

"I want to do something with you."

"Like?" Alfred glanced down at him briefly.

"I'm not sure. Do you have any ideas?"

Alfred shrugged. "Watch TV?"

Arthur poked his leg again. "As you would say, 'That's boring'."

"It's not, and you said anything."

"Well then, could you see if my shirt's dry yet?" he asked, slipping off Alfred's lap. "I'm getting a bit cold."

Alfred leaned down and touched the shirt. He had brought it there along with Arthur. "Nope." he said, moving back and sighing. "Hmm…" He thought for a second before taking the towel again and draping it over him. "Wear this~!"

Sputtering, Arthur forced his way out from under it. "Absolutely not! It's dirty, and wet, and it's not even clothes, not to mention it's too big and heavy for me!"

Alfred sighed again, before getting up and coming back with a box of tissues. "I can't give you any other cloth, cuz you have no small pieces. Soooooo…"

Arthur crossed his arms. "I will not wear tissues." he said, for some reason thinking of Rome in a toga. He shook his head very quickly to clear the image from his mind.

Alfred laughed. "That's not it, give me a minute." He returned a few moments later with cotton balls and scissors. He cut a piece of his sleeve, a long piece, and held the needle from earlier and some thread. After about five minutes of some shitty needlework, he put a fluffy and filled with cotton balls blanket-type thing on Arthur's shoulders.

Arthur stared. "Why did you do that? You've just ruined a perfectly good article of clothing!" he said, but wrapped the blanket closer around himself. "But thank you." he added quietly.

Alfred nodded brightly. "Course. And no I didn't, I can still wear this~!"

"You'd look ridiculous, with only one sleeve."

Alfred pursed his lips. "I'll take it back."

Arthur shifted away slightly, pulling the blanket closer still to himself.

Alfred laughed. "Mhm."

"What?"

"Do you want me to take it back?"

Arthur looked down, fingering the slightly messy stitching. "No…"

"That's what then."

"So what are you going to do about the other sleeve? Cut it off as well?"

"Leave the topic, Iggy. It's fine."

Arthur opened his mouth to say more, but then hesitated and simply nodded. "Alright." he said, snuggling back into the couch.

Alfred cleaned up the supplies and returned to sit on the couch as well.

"So, what do you want to do?" Arthur asked brightly.

Alfred shrugged again. "I have no idea, man."

"Well, that's great, let's just sit here and be bored."

Alfred turned to glare at him. "YOU'RE bored. I'm fine."

"Don't let me spoil your 'fine'ness." Arthur muttered, standing up and letting the makeshift blanket slip off him. He went to the edge of the couch and jumped over to the coffee table.

Alfred watched him. "Whoa, nice jump."

"Like I haven't done it a few times before." Arthur replied, proceeding to jump off the coffee table to the floor. He rolled when he hit the ground to break his fall and landed on one knee, his arms spread before him. He had a vision of James Bond doing something similar, and smirked, starting to do a pose before he remembered Alfred and climbed to his feet, brushing nonexistent dirt off of his equally nonexistent shirt.

Alfred snickered. "Whoa there, Iggy."

Arthur looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Bond, much?"

"S-Shut up!" Arthur sputtered, his face heating up.

Alfred laughed again, crossing his legs and placing them on the coffee table. "So what do you plan to do now? Walk around with finger guns?"

"Shut it!" Arthur repeated. "If anything, it would be Kirkland, not Bond…" he muttered. "And no, I plan to have a little repeat of the splendid hide-and-seek game we had the other day." he said before running from the room, smirking. It was extremely childish, he knew but hey, it was something to do.

Alfred panicked a bit. "What?! Arthur, stop, I'm not gonna look for you!"

Arthur stopped and peeked back into the room. "Then I guess you lose. And you won't know if anything ate me." he said cheerfully before running down the hallway. As he passed the kitchen, he noticed a bit of fluff from a cotton ball stuck in his hair. He took it out and threw it into the kitchen, hoping to lay down some sort of false trail. He himself headed to the library. There was a stack of pillows under the window seat and he climbed them before burrowing under the pillow that was resting in the corner of the seat. He settled down and waited.

Alfred sighed and got up. He walked around, hurrying fast enough to see Arthur disappear into the library. He walked in, looking for things on the ground level that he could hide in and immediately spotted the pillows. He kneeled down in front of them, pulling them back. "You're bad at hiding."

Arthur scowled. "You didn't give me enough time."

"Mhm." Alfred picked him up and stood up. "No more hiding, or I'll have to put you down somewhere."

"Then come up with something to do. And if you put me down, I can just go off and hide again." he said, and then kicked himself for letting the second part slip out.

Alfred rolled his eyes. "I'm not stupid, Artie, I never said where I would put you down."

"Where would you put me down then, O Smart One?" Arthur asked sarcastically.

Alfred raised an eyebrow, his lips suddenly curling up as he looked up at the ceiling, as if he was glancing upstairs. "I'll think of something." he replied.

"Yes, do let me know next year, when you've actually thought of something." he said, smirking.

Alfred turned, walking out of the room and upstairs. He leaned on the doorframe of the bedroom, staring straight at a familiar silver item on the desk. "Is it next year now, or might you have figured it out by now?"

Arthur stopped laughing. "You wouldn't dare…" he muttered, looking anywhere but at the cage and gritting his teeth.

"Oh, but I would. I'm the O Smart One, hmm?"

Arthur shook his head violently. "You wouldn't! And that's not smart, that's idiotic!"

Alfred sighed. "Idiotic, hm? And I would Artie, wanna try me?"

"You wouldn't put me in there." Arthur said, trying to sound confident. It came out slightly believable, but not really.

Alfred moved closer to it. "Would I?"

"No you wouldn't." Arthur said, chuckling nervously. "Heroes don't do that sort of thing, and if you are your so-called hero," He smirked at this. "Then you won't."

"And why wouldn't a hero?" he asked softly. "Would he to prove a point?"

"I'm not the evil guy in this twisted hero story of yours, so there's nothing to prove."

"'S'not a twisted story…"

"Well, whatever it is, I'm not the bad guy, and you won't put me in that cage."

"Guess I won't." Alfred opened the door and placed him inside. "What's it like in there?"

Arthur ran to the edge and gripped the bars tightly. "Let me out!" he hissed.

Alfred pursed his lips. "I didn't even close the door, Iggy. Just tell me what it's like?"

"It's bloody demeaning!" Arthur snapped and ran towards the door, half afraid that Alfred would slam it in his face right as he was about to get out.

"That's it? What's it look like?"

Arthur made it out and leaned against the side of it, breathing deeply. "Like a prison. But prettier."

Alfred stared at him, picking it up. "Sorry. But either way, I did. So stop with the hiding!"

"So come up with something to do. And don't bloody apologize for something you meant to do!"

Alfred sighed. "I don't knooooowwwww. And I didn't mean to! You just- whatever. I didn't lock you in or anything."

Arthur grumbled for a while about how it was the same thing before he was cut short by a yawn. He blinked. "What time is it?"

Alfred looked around. "It's like, 9…." He looked down at him.

"Can you set me on the bed then? I'm getting tired."

Alfred nodded and set him down. He fixed the pillows and covers around him. "That good?"

"Yes. Are you going to sleep too?" he asked, climbing into the center of the pillow and looking up at him.

Alfred rubbed the back of his head. "I don't wanna…well…I-I don't want to get in your way, I'll go downstairs…"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "You won't be in my way, I barely take up any room. Besides, what if the ghosts get me?" he asked, smiling a bit.

Alfred stared at him. "Wh-What?"

Arthur shrugged. "Oh, nothing. I've just been hearing some strange noises at night lately. Creaking, moaning, the sort." He huddled deeper into the pillow. "It's been more than a bit unnerving…but I won't bother you with that. Just go on downstairs."

Alfred looked around. "R-Really?!"

"It's nothing, really. I mean, they can't do much, right? I'm sure I'll be fine." Arthur said, playing up the uncertainty in his voice.

Alfred bit his lip before he sat down.

"You'll stay?"

"Yeah…" Alfred nodded. "The ghosts an' stuff."

Arthur patted the spot on the pillow next to him. "Get comfortable then, I guess." he said, laying down and covering himself with the blanket.

Alfred hesitated before he got up and slowly climbed into the bed, careful of Arthur.

Arthur was moved around a bit when the bed shifted as Alfred got in, but it quieted down soon enough. "Good night then, Alfred."

"Good night…"Alfred replied quietly, closing his eyes. A few seconds later, he muttered something. "Sorry…"

Nearly asleep, Arthur opened his eyes at the sound. He got up and made his way over to Alfred's body. He reached out blindly in the darkness, mostly touching pillow or sheet, but stopped when he touched warm skin. It was Alfred's arm.

"What are you sorry for?" he asked quietly.

Alfred slightly buried his face in the blanket. "For putting you in there…"

Arthur followed Alfred's arm up until he made it to his head, touching the part of his cheek that wasn't buried in the blanket. "You didn't close the door…" he offered as a weak comeback.

Alfred shut his eyes, tears coming out of them. "I'msorryIdidn'twanttobutgod-I'mstupidandnotaheroI 'msorryIwantedtoknowwhatit...feltandorlookedlike,i t justseemssocooltobeabletoseefromthatperspective." he cried into the pillow.

Arthur stared into the darkness. "A-Are you crying?" he asked. He took a moment to try and understand the jumble of words the American had just said. "Don't apologize, I don't blame you for wanting to flex your power a bit." He sighed, stroking Alfred's cheek with long, meant-to-be-soothing strokes. "Don't cry. You are a hero, and a damn good one at that. If you wanted to know, you could have just asked." he said gently.

"M'sorry….m'sorry…"

Arthur smacked him lightly. "Stop bloody apologizing, you're making me feel guilty. And please stop crying…"

Alfred started shaking his head, trying to stop. "M'sorry!"

Arthur was thrown back a bit as Alfred started moving. "Ow…" he muttered, shaking his head. "STOP. APOLOGIZING. It's fine." he said forcefully, walking back towards him despite all the movement.

"Oh my god, are you okay?!" Alfred raised his head to see if he was okay. When he saw he was, he carefully got up and got onto the floor, sitting against the bed.

Arthur sighed and ran over to the edge of the bed, near Alfred's head. "I'm fine, now get back onto the bed."

Alfred shook his head. "N-No. I might hurt you. Go t'sleep."

Arthur groaned in frustration. "You haven't hurt me yet, and you won't. I trust you, Alfred. I won't got to sleep until you get back onto the bloody bed."

"Just please go…I gotta watch for the ghosts anyways…"

Gritting his teeth, Arthur blindly jumped onto Alfred's shoulder. Luckily, he judged almost correctly and didn't fall off. He had to grab onto a piece of his hair for support, though. "You can watch perfectly well from the bed." he said, settling down onto his shoulder, his legs dangling off towards his chest.

"Ow!" Alfred flinched when his hair was being pulled. He picked Arthur up, putting him on the bed again. "No, I don't. Go to sleep, I'm fine."

Arthur ran right back up to him. "Sorry about the hair. But you're not fine. And I told you before; I'm not going to sleep until you're up here on the bed.

Alfred reached up and put his hand on him, pushing him back. "Go to fucking sleep, Arthur. I'm fucking fine."

Arthur dodged around his hand and jumped onto him again, this time with a better landing. "Come up onto the bed then."

Alfred grabbed him again and put him back in his original spot. "Go to sleep."

"Get up here then!" he replied, making his way over yet again. "You know, this is getting tiring, but I will come over there until you pick up your ass off the floor and get up onto the sodding bed!"

Alfred turned, grabbing him and placing him harshly on the pillow. "Go the fuck to sleep, or you'll be sleeping in the fucking cage!" he yelled, dropping him and turning back around, burying his head deeper into his arms and knees.

Arthur froze in shock for a while. "Alfred…please…" Forcing himself to ignore the harshness, he moved towards him. "I'm begging you, okay? I want you to come up here. The ghosts were only a lie to get you to stay."

Quiet sobs came from Alfred. "I know." he choked out.

Arthur jumped again, but this time Alfred's shaking caused him to skid off his shoulder and land instead on his lap. He lay there for a moment, dazed, before sitting up. "Then please come up onto the bed." he said quietly. It was easier to say 'please' in the darkness for some reason.

Alfred sniffed. "I'm fine here; I don't want to, England, understand it please. I-I don't want to do it by accident. In my sleep or something.

Arthur cocked his head to the side. "Do what?" he asked, glad Alfred hadn't moved him yet.

"C-Crush you or somethin'."

"You haven't yet, so what makes you think it's going to happen now?" Arthur asked. "Weren't you listening to me before? I _trust_ you not to do that, Alfred." he said, sitting down on his leg.

"First time for everything…" Alfred muttered.

Arthur groaned in exasperation. "You need to have a little faith in yourself. What do I have to so to get you up onto the damned bed?"

"Go t'sleep."

"And how will I know you've come up if I'm asleep?" Arthur countered.

"Heroes don't lie."

"What if I want insurance? Get up onto the bed, put these thoughts of foolishness out of your head, and we can both have a good, ghost-free night's sleep."

Alfred looked up, grabbing him and placing him on the bed again. "Insurance is stupid. Please just go to sleep."

Arthur grabbed a hold of on of his fingers and refused to let go. "The former British Empire is bloody _begging_ you to do a simple thing and get up onto a blasted bed, and you can't do that?"

Alfred stared at him before looking away. He slowly got up and climbed into the bed. "There." he said quietly.

Smiling, Arthur let go and curled up right next to him. "Thank you, Alfred." He didn't go to sleep yet, for fear that Alfred would just leave when he thought that he was asleep.

Alfred nodded slightly, and fell asleep a few moments later. Arthur relaxed when he heard his light snores. Still smirking a bit, he drifted off to sleep as well.

* * *

**A/N**: Whoo! Over six thousand words! For those of you that made it to the end, you're awesome! Next chapter's gonna be fun... Heheh... See ya on Wednesday!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**: Chapter 8!

Very quickly, to the guest reviewer Alice: You're welcome. Yeah, I know that it can be annoying when there's a lot of errors, so I always do my best to check for them and fix them. Hopefully I've been doing an okay job so far~!

And now, on with the story!

* * *

When Alfred woke up the next morning, the first thing he did was make sure Arthur was still there.

Arthur blinked awake when the mattress shifted under him with Alfred's movements. "…Alfred?" he asked sleepily.

"Mmm?" He found Arthur and stopped moving.

Arthur closed his eyes again, burrowing farther into the sheets for warmth. "Nothing…go back t'sleep."

Alfred checked the alarm clock on the nightstand. "It's 10, Artie."

Arthur shot up, awake instantly. "It's that late?!" he asked, his hair sticking up at all angles.

Alfred laughed, staring at his hair. "Yup."

Arthur tried patting his hair down, but it only served to make it stand up more. "What are you laughing at?" He peered suspiciously up at him.

Alfred poked the mane of hair. "Nothing."

"It's my hair, isn't it?" Arthur asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Noooo…." Alfred said, snickering.

Grumbling at him, Arthur climbed up his arm and perched on his chest. "Stop laughing, it's not that funny."

Alfred peered down at him. "Whatcha doin'?"

Arthur shrugged. "It's more comfortable here, I suppose. And more warm…"

Alfred poked him. "You don't care it's late anymore?"

"It's not like I have anything to do at this point in time. And stop poking me! I thought we went over this yesterday."

Alfred pursed his lips and poked him again.

Arthur scowled, moving back onto Alfred's stomach. "Stop that!" he snapped, scowling.

Alfred laughed, picking him up and placing him on his knee.

Arthur crossed his arms. "I fail to see what is so amusing in poking me."

"Lotsa stuff." He poked the tiny man again.

Arthur nearly fell off his perch. "There has to be a better explanation than 'Lotsa stuff'." he said, mimicking Alfred's voice.

Alfred pursed his lips again. "I don't talk like that." He picked him up, holding him in the air.

"Yes you do. And put me down!" Arthur kicked his legs around.

Alfred placed him back on his knee.

Arthur sighed and brushed of his shirt. "Thank you."

Alfred then picked him up again, snickering.

"A-Alfred! What are you doing?!"

"Not being bored." He placed him on his stomach.

"There are better ways to do that." Arthur said dryly, laying down and propping his head up on his hands, looking up at him. His elbows dug a bit into Alfred's muscles, but he thought that the American wouldn't feel that much.

Alfred picked him up again. "Liiikke?"

"I don't know, not playing with me as if I were a doll?" Arthur suggested. Thank god Alfred hadn't tried playing dress-up, or 'Rescue the Arthur from the book-tower' or some other childish thing like that.

Alfred pursed his lips. "If you were a doll, we'd be playing dress-up or house or some shit." he replied, placing him back on his knee.

Arthur paled slightly when he said that. "G-Good thing I'm not, then." he said, laughing nervously.

Alfred laughed. "Mhm." He suddenly brightened up. "OMG Artie! You could slide down my leg, like a gigantic slide or something!"

"What are you, a playground?" Arthur asked raising an eyebrow. He glanced down the length of his leg. It _could_ be fun…

"Noooooo, but c'mon, try it!" Alfred urged, laughing again.

Arthur looked down one side, then the other. He finally slowly walked over to the shorter drop, the one that would deposit him on Alfred's stomach. He sat down, glanced one last time at him and pushed off. He instinctively let out a shout of excitement as the world rushed past, and then he was bouncing across his stomach. After the final bounce, he was on his back, looking up at him.

"I suppose it was alright." he said slowly.

Alfred laughed. "You totally loved it!" He put him back on his knee again.

Arthur reddened. "Did not." He said, but he might have slid down more eagerly that time, landing in the same spot again.

"You totally did!" Alfred picked him up and looked at him. "What kind of drop do you think you'd die from?"

Arthur stared at him with wide eyes, his face pale. "I-I don't want to find out." he said quietly.

Alfred shook his head immediately. "Nononono, that's not what I mean!" He lowered him so he was a centimeter from the mattress and let go so he could plop down on it. "So, how is the mini-British Empire?"

"_Ex_-British Empire." Arthur muttered, flopping down onto the mattress on his stomach. "But I suppose it could be worse…"

"Uwah! That's so mean! It should totes be fun with the hero here!"

Arthur rolled over onto his back and glared up at him. "How is that mean?! I said it could be worse! Like, say, if the frog found me…" He shuddered at the images that came to mind.

Alfred snickered. "Mhm, sure."

Arthur propped himself up on his elbows again. "Do you still want to go to the amusement park?" he asked suddenly, to change the topic. "Answer truthfully now."

Alfred looked down at him. "Totally. Any day."

"You should go, then. Get out of this stuffy old house for a bit and have some of your 'fun'."

"Naw, I won't leave ya alone." He patted the top of his head.

Arthur leaned back, away from the contact. "Go, Alfred. I'll be fine for a bit, just leave me in the library. You're bored here, I know."

Alfred shook his head. "No! What if a ghost eats you?!"

"A ghost won't eat me. There aren't any ghost around here. Now GO."

Alfred looked at him, thinking for a moment. "…But…what if something happens…?

Arthur sighed, exasperated. "Nothing will happen. I'm pretty sure I can survive in my own house for a few hours."

Alfred sighed after a moment. "Fine." He stood up, taking Arthur into his hand. He carried him to the library and placed him on the floor. "There."

"Thank you." Arthur looked up at the shelves, skimming over the book titles. He pointed to one. "Can you take that down for me?"

Alfred took it and dropped it next to him. "Anything else?"

Arthur jumped out of the way as it hit the ground right next to him. "Some water would be nice…"

Alfred left, coming back with a bottle cap full of it. He placed it next to him as well. "Your highness want anything else?"

"No, his highness is pretty satisfied. You may go." Arthur said with a smirk. "Have 'fun'."

Alfred rolled his eyes with a smile. "Mhm, bye." He left the room and then the house, locking the door behind him.

Arthur settled down and opened the cover of the book. He read it for a while until the words bored him. He glanced up again, looking for a better book. He found a work by Edgar Allan Poe up on the fifth shelf. Despite being American, the man could write, and Arthur enjoyed reading his works. He moved towards it and began to climb. He reached the book with no problem and pushed it out. It teetered on the edge for a moment until he pushed it out. It fell to the ground and opened with a thud.

Arthur winced, but there was no other way he could get it down. However, the vibration from the impact caused another, loose, book on the shelf to tip over. It hit him square on the back and pushed him over the edge. He yelped and tried to grab anything that would stop him from falling. He grazed the shelf with his fingertips, but then it was out of reach. He closed his eyes as the air whooshed past him.

He struck the open book with his left arm, bouncing across the surface and finally skidding to a halt so he was half-hanging off it. His left arm, which had finally been close to being fully healed, blossomed in pain again at the impact. His whole body stiffened with shock and then simply shut down. Arthur fainted with his head and right arm hanging down limply over the edge of the book's pages. His left arm was twisted under his body at a weird angle. He looked for all the world like a doll that had been tossed aside once it had broken.

Alfred returned a few hours later. He closed the front door, threw his coat off, and walked to the library. When he saw Arthur lying on the book, he immediately ran over and kneeled down.

"Artie?!"

When he got no answer, he picked him up carefully with shaking hands. He shook him gently.

"Artie…?"

Still nothing.

He slowly stood and walked out of the room, heading upstairs. He placed Arthur on the bed and covered him partially, hoping he would wake up.

After a long while, Arthur stirred. He moved his left arm a bit. Pain shot through him and he cried out, instinctively curling up to protect himself.

Alfred perked up. "A-Artie?!"

Arthur realized he was no longer in the library. "A-Alfred? Oh, y-you're back…Did-Did you have fun?" he asked, trying to smile but failing miserable. He slowly uncurled, wincing and holding his left arm gingerly by his side.

"What happened?!"

"It was nothing, just a little tumble. An accident, nothing more. Don't worry about it."

"Y-You're hurt! You coulda died!"

Arthur tried sitting up, but he groaned softly and sank back down. "I'm not, and I didn't. I'm fine."

Alfred narrowed his eyes. "I'm not stupid, Artie! What happened, where are you hurt?!"

"I'm not hurt!" Arthur snapped, jerking up. At the motion, his arm throbbed and he doubled over it, a quiet whimper escaping him. "I just fell from the fifth shelf, it's no big deal." he managed to get out through clenched teeth.

"Fifth shelf?! Are you-" Alfred reached out to him. "Is it your arm?"

Arthur drew back from him, pulling his arm closer to his body. "N-No, of course not…"

Alfred reached out and grabbed him. "It is!"

"I-It's not!" Arthur protested, struggling in his grip while trying not to cause any more damage.

Alfred gently tightened his grip. "Stop it! Why won't you tell me?!"

Arthur winced. "T-There's nothing to say! Yes, my arm hurts a bit, but that's nothing! I'm fine!"

"It could be broken!" Alfred stood.

"Put me down, Alfred! It's not broken, it's fine!"

"No! It's not!" He turned and placed him on his desk. "Wait, I'll get some bandages."

Arthur staggered over to the edge and collapsed near it. Damn. He was still weakened from the fainting. He lay there, an arm handing over the edge, staring at the ground, which was a long way off.

When Alfred returned, he dropped the things on the desk and picked Arthur up. "You okay?"

Arthur lay limp, not bothering to resist. "I'm fine. I told you that already."

"Seriously Artie."

Arthur looked down. "…It does hurt…quite a bit…Please be careful…" he mumbled eventually.

Alfred nodded. "Course." He put him down. "Take your shirt off."

Arthur slowly and carefully pulled his shirt off, exposing the bruising that mottled his left arm and shoulder. He glanced at it and sighed. It had been nearly gone before, but now it was worse, especially in the area from his elbow to his shoulder. He shivered as the cool air hit him.

Alfred kneeled down and examined it. "…Damn." he muttered after softly whistling.

Arthur held out his arm to him, but after a few seconds it trembled too much, and he let it drop. "It's not that bad…" he muttered, turning his head away.

"Yes it is! It's broken!"

"It's not broken, just bruised badly.

"Bro. KEN." Alfred insisted, gently holding it up with one finger. "Hmm…"

Arthur gasped and jerked his arm back. "Bruised. No more." he said, ignoring the stab of pain that went through it.

"It's broken!" Alfred took it again.

"Be careful with it then!" Arthur hissed.

"I am! It's hard, you're tiny!"

"Then be even more careful!"

"I'm trying, okay? Can you stop?"

Arthur looked down. "I know you are…And I'm not doing anything!"

"You keep ordering me around! Stop it, I'm trying!"

Arthur shut his mouth and held perfectly still. He gritted his teeth against the pain, but allowed no sound to escape him.

Alfred snickered. "There." He dropped the arm and started cutting the bandages into little strips.

Arthur moved himself into a more comfortable position but stayed silent, watching him.

Alfred finished making a make-shift sling in about 15 minutes. He held his breath most of the time he was working close to the injured area as to not hurt Arthur anymore than he already was.

"There."

Arthur examined it closely, and then nodded. He tried putting his shirt back on, but couldn't lift his arm high enough. "How the hell do I get this on?!" he cried, frustrated. He finally threw the shirt down and sighed.

"…Don't put it on…"

Arthur stared at him. "But I'll be cold…"

Alfred pulled the shirt over his head. "There."

Arthur struggled for a moment to pull his right arm through the sleeve. His left arm hung limply underneath. "Thanks…" he muttered, sitting down.

Alfred sighed. "The hell were you doing on the fifth shelf?"

"I was just getting a different book…I told you before, it's no big deal."

"It's not a big deal?! You could have died or something!"

"Of course it's not! And I didn't die, nothing happened! Why-Why do you even care?"

"What the hell do you mean why do you care?! OF course I care! And you could have died!"

"You shouldn't care…" Arthur muttered. "I would have been fine."

"Why the fuck should I not care?! And no, you wouldn't have been fine!"

Arthur moved away, hugging himself awkwardly. "I-I- You just shouldn't!" he yelled, his voice cracking slightly. "Y-You shouldn't even be here, looking out for me! You should be out doing things for yourself!"

"Stop fucking saying that! I'm fine, and I need to- you just broke your arm, stupid!"

"So? It would have healed on its own! You shouldn't be here…"

"Shut up! I am, and if you have a problem with it, get over it!"

"I don't have a problem with it, I just-" Arthur broke off to take a deep breath. "I- I don't deserve it. I'm nothing now…you knew that 237 years ago, and that's why you left. I was crumbling then, and now I'm a ruin, nothing more than the ghost of something great. I'm weak, and pathetic and pitiful, and you shouldn't waste your time on me." he choked out, beginning to cry. He buried his face in his arm so Alfred wouldn't see his tears.

"…What the hell Artie?" Alfred leaned down to poke him. "That's not true. Stop it."

Arthur flinched back from the touch. "No, it's true! I keep telling myself that I'm still great, that I've still got it, but I'm just lying to myself."

"Shut up! Or I'll- I'll make you! It's not true!"

Arthur lifted his head and scowled at him through his tears. "You wouldn't dare make me." he snapped. "You know nothing, so you shut up!"

Alfred was taken aback a bit. "The hell does I know nothing mean?!"

Arthur chuckled darkly. "Look at yourself. You're barely older than a kid. You know nothing about falling or betrayal." he said bitterly, before glaring up at him. "So don't bloody give me any shit about what's not true, or how you can make me do anything!"

Alfred's eyebrows furrowed and he glared down at him. "I am older than a kid, and I do know about it! And it's not shit, and I fucking can!" He picked him up by the back of the shirt. "I'm stronger than you, whether you're tall or short."

Arthur twisted violently, trying to get free. "YOU KNOW NOTHING!" he yelled. "What the hell do you know about pain, or loss, or any of it?! Huh?! WHAT do you know, America?!"

"I know a lot! I've been through a lot of shit too, England, so don't try and feed me that bullshit!"

Arthur twisted some more until he finally managed to get out of his shirt. He landed heavily on the desk. "OW- Fuck- You've been through nothing!" he yelled, staggering up.

Alfred grabbed him again. "I have! And don't you fucking tell me it's nothing!"

"Let me go!" Arthur shouted, struggling again. "Let me go and get out of here! You shouldn't be here!"

"Fuck you Artie! Stop it!" He tightened his grip on him.

Arthur gasped. "No! Just get out of here, you big idiot!"

"I- I'm not an idiot! Stop struggling!"

"No! Let me go and get out of here!" He hit Alfred with his good hand.

Alfred raised a finger and pinned his arm down. "Stop. It. I'm not leaving!"

"But you should! Stop wasting your time on me!"

"Stop! No, I'm not wasting my time!" Alfred gently set him down on the desk. "Don't move, I'll be back with some water, you're probably delirious or something."

"I'M NOT DELERIOUS!" Arthur yelled. He ran over to the edge and jumped down onto the chair.

Alfred immediately grabbed him. "Arthur, stop it! I don't care, just don't move!" He placed him back on to of the desk.

"Yeah, you don't care, so get out of here!" Arthur jumped again.

"No, I don't care that you're delirious-" Alfred grabbed him again. "I-If you don't stop it, I'll haveta make you!"

"You can't make me! You wouldn't do anything to me. Just put me down and leave!"

Alfred bit his bottom lip. "I will if I have to! You'll just hurt yourself again!" He glanced over at the cage, and then back to Arthur.

Arthur noticed the glance and began thrashing around again. "NO! I'll be fine! YOU WOULDN'T DO THAT! You said you wouldn't!"

Alfred tried to keep his bottom lip from trembling. "I-I'll do it if you won't stop…"

Arthur fought harder. "Just go! I'll be fine! Go home!"

"N-No! You might hurt yourself; it might end up even worse! Please, just stop!"

"I won't hurt myself!" Arthur yelled, trying to lash out at him. "Let me go, damnit!"

"You will! Stop it, please!" Alfred stepped over to the cage. "I won't if you stop, and won't run off…"

Arthur sighed and stopped moving. "Fine. I'll stop." he said, fully intending to jump the moment Alfred left.

Alfred sighed in relief. "Thanks." He placed him down on the desk. "I'll get you food too, okay?"

"Okay." Arthur said, and the moment Alfred left, he jumped down to the chair and then the floor, before slipping under the door to the closet. He ran to the farthest corner of it, hiding in a pile of laundry.

Alfred returned a while later, and immediately cursed. "Arthur, you fucking liar!" He put his things down. "I know you're in this room, come out!"

Arthur heard him and pushed down farther in the pile of clothes. Alfred's tone was harsh, and it scared him a bit.

Alfred cursed again and started to search, literally everywhere. After going through the room thoroughly, he opened the closet door. He dropped down to his knees and started to push through the things on the floor. "Arthur, come out! You might get hurt, please!"

Arthur cursed silently and crawled even more back, until he was pressed against the corner. He huddled there, eyes closed.

It took Alfred fifteen minutes before he pulled every article of clothing out, slowly and carefully. He kept a straight face as he reached out and curled his fingers around Arthur. "Please don't hate me.

"Why would I hate you?" Arthur asked warily, though he guessed what was coming. "Let me go!"

Alfred picked him up and stood, turning and starting to walk over to the desk. "Don't hate me…"

Arthur's eyes widened as he realized Alfred was perfectly serious. "NO! Alfred, DON'T! I _will_ hate you, I swear! Don't you dare!"

Alfred felt tears coming out of the corners of his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Artie…" He opened the door to the cage.

"Alfred, no! Please, no! I promise I won't run again!" Arthur thrashed around again, pushing at his fingers. "That's not what a hero would do!" he cried desperately.

Alfred hesitated before slowly putting the hand with Arthur in it inside. "I-I'm sorry. I warned you, Artie…" His voice turned hoarse, and he shut his eyes as he placed him down and closed the door.

Arthur went stiff with shock as the door closed with a hollow clang. After a moment, he curled up in the middle of the floor and sobbed. "I-I hate you, Alfred!" he yelled, his voice cracking. "I hate you for this!"

Alfred stepped back. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" His own voice cracked. He took the food and water and quickly put it in the cage next to him before closing the door again. "I…I can't let you get hurt…"

Angrily, Arthur lashed out at the food and water, upending it. "Don't pretend to care now, America." he said coldly. "Just sod off, you piece of- you idiot!" he snapped, turning his back to Alfred and burying his head in his hands as more tears came.

Alfred clenched his teeth and gulped. "I do care, I do. I'm sorry." He stepped back again. "I-I'm not an idiot. Or whatever you were g-gonna say!"

"Don't bother pretending you do, I know you don't." Arthur snapped, not turning around.

"I do care, that's why I did th-that! I don't want you to hurt yourself!"

"I wouldn't hurt myself!" Arthur yelled. "Of course you don't care, no one does…"

"You just did, stupid! And I do fucking care, stop it!"

"Shut up and stop LYING!" Arthur screamed, curling up even tighter. "Take me out of here and LEAVE!"

"SHUT UP! I'm not going to, and you're fucking staying in there!" He turned to walk out.

Arthur suddenly scrambled up and dashed to the bars, gripping them tightly. "Alfred!" he screamed, his eyes pleading. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry for what I said, and I promise I won't run. JUST DON'T LEAVE ME IN HERE!" he sobbed, his whole body shaking.

Alfred froze, shaking his head. "I can't…" he said softly.

"Yes you can, I won't do anything, I swear. Alfred, please I'll do anything. I'm fucking begging, okay? Please…" He sank down to his knees.

Alfred started to slightly tremble. "I can't…" He opened the door to the room. "Go to sleep and get some r-rest, okay? I'm sorry, but I told you, I told you to wait."

"Alfred, PLEASE! I'm sorry, so sorry, just don't leave me here!" he yelled desperately. "Please!"

"…You woulda done it to me…" Alfred muttered before shutting the door behind him. He hesitated and opened it again, just a bit, before sitting down against the wall, stairs on his left. He brought his knees up to himself and placed his head on them. His stomach growled a bit, but he ignored it, determined to stay and make sure Arthur was okay.

Arthur hurled himself against the bars a few times, a metallic thump coming every time his body hit the metal. After a while, his bruised body couldn't take it any more and he curled up again, whimpering softly. "Alfred, please…please…" he whispered hoarsely.

Alfred sat there, his stomach knotting up from guilt. He hugged his knees tighter and stared at the ground. He shut his eyes and winced at every faint thump he heard from the other room.

Arthur finally fell asleep from exhaustion. He didn't have any blanket, or his shirt, so he was shivering.

It took Alfred another few minutes before he couldn't take it anymore. He walked in and cursed himself when he saw the shaking little person. He opened the door, gently picking him up and taking him to the bed. He put him on the pillow and covered him with the blanket. He then lay down on the floor next to the bed and hugged himself from the cold, before falling asleep.

Arthur had woken while he was being moved, and after Alfred had settled he got up and slid down to the floor. He walked over to Alfred and curled up next to his hand, snuggling right up against him for warmth. "I'm sorry, Alfred." he whispered. "I don't hate you."

Alfred woke and wrapped his fingers around him, putting him back on the bed. "I'm sorry, I'm a pathetic hero…" He covered him with the blanket again. "I was scared you would get really hurt…"

Arthur grabbed onto his finger and refused to let go. "You're not a pathetic hero…but please stay with me up here…" he begged.

Alfred looked at him. "O…Okay…" He got up and lay down on top of the blanket next to him. "…Night…"

Arthur moved closer to him. "Thank you…Good night…"

Alfred didn't answer as he immediately fell asleep, his hand curling slightly around him.

Arthur nuzzled against his fingers for a moment before closing his eyes and falling asleep as well.

* * *

**A/N**: Hey guys. This story is slowly coming to a close- there's gonna be about 2 or 3 more chapters, maybe 4. But I also did a Version 2 of this story, what would happen if the potion actually worked and Alfred ended up the small one. I put up the first chapter of that one as well, if you guys want to check it out~!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N**: Not much to say here, but Chapter 9! ...And more arguing. *sigh* Yippee. XD

Enjoy~!

* * *

Arthur woke up the next morning before Alfred and hugged his fingers tightly before slipping out from under his hand and stretching out on his back on the pillow next to it.

When Alfred woke up, he immediately looked around for Arthur. "You…didn't leave."

Arthur turned to him and attempted to smile. "Neither did you…"

"Why would _I_?"

"Well, why would I leave, then?" Arthur asked, moving closer to Alfred's hand again.

"…Cuz you hated me, remember? Aren't you scared I'll put you back in?"

Arthur looked down, but touched his knuckle lightly. "I don't hate you…And…well I am a bit afraid you will, but I certainly hope you won't…"

Alfred's eyes went wide. "Y-You're afraid of me?!"

"W-Well, you are a bit intimidating at that size…And you could do anything you wanted to me, as you proved yesterday…" Arthur shook his head as he remembered.

Alfred shook his head. "Don't be scared…"

"I don't want to be…but I can't help it sometimes."

"…Well stop it." Alfred replied, wrapping his fingers around him.

Arthur nuzzled against them for a moment. "I'm trying."

Alfred pursed his lips and kissed the top of his head. "There."

Arthur froze, his cheeks heating up a bit. "W-What was that for?" he asked, staring up at him.

"Now you won't be scared~!"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yes, my fear is all gone now."

Alfred laughed. "Good!"

"…That was sarcasm." Arthur said, relaxing in his grip and closing his eyes. His arm already felt much better.

"It shouldn't have been!"

"Well it was…" he mumbled, not moving.

Alfred mock glared. "Stoppit!"

"Stop what? I'm not doing anything."

"Smile!"

"What? W-Why?"

"Cuz!"

Arthur opened his eyes and tried to smile. It came out more of a grimace and vanished after a few seconds. "There."

"That was shit!"

Arthur tried again. It came out a bit better, but it still wasn't a real smile. It vanished just as quickly as the first one.

"STOP! BETTER!"

Arthur's mouth curled up in a smile. It was extremely small, but it was real. He managed to keep it in place for a while, but then it faded. "There…"

"SHIT!"

Arthur looked down. "Well, sorry. I can't smile right now." he said quietly.

"Why?"

"I'm not really up to it." He shrugged.

"What does that mean?"

"I'm just not happy enough to smile now, Alfred. Let it alone." Arthur slipped out of his grasp.

"…Why not?"

"I'm just not." Arthur said forcefully, walking to the other side of the pillow and sitting down, facing away from him. "Just let it alone."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. Why would you think that something's wrong?"

"Why'd…you move away?"

"I-I don't want to bother you." Arthur shrugged again.

"With?"

"…Me…"

"…It's not a bother!"

Arthur moved away more, secretly wishing Alfred would reach out. "Yes it is, don't lie."

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is…" Arthur glanced at him, his eyes pleading for something.

"NO!" Alfred looked at him. "You okay?"

Arthur glanced at him again, moving a tiny bit closer. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Alfred grabbed him. "Don't lie!"

Arthur held tightly onto his index finger. "M'not…" he muttered.

Alfred stared at him. "What's wrong? Are you scared?"

Arthur looked up to meet his gazer and smiled a bit. "No, I'm most definitely not scared."

"Good~! You hungry?"

"A little bit…" Arthur admitted.

"Whaddaya want?"

"Anything's fine, as long as I can eat it."

"McD's!"

"NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

"You said anything!"

"Not that."

"Yes. I choose."

"No! Alfred, I won't eat it!" Arthur warned. "And then I'll starve, and it'll be your fault!"

"Wh-What?! I'll make you!"

"Stop making me do stuff! And then you wonder why I act depressed!" Arthur yelled, hitting him lightly.

"Depressed?! You needa eat!"

"I won't eat that…shit!"

"It's not shit! It's good!"

"No it's not! You may be a nation, but that 'food' will kill you one day. Or, you'll just get fatter."

"Fatter?! I'm not fat in the first place, you're so mean!"

"I'm not being mean, I'm just stating a fact."

"I'm not fat! Shut up!"

"Perhaps not now…."

"I won't be! That's it, you're eating it!"

"Wh-What?! N-No!" Arthur cried, and tried to get out of Alfred's grip.

"Yup~!" Alfred got up and went downstairs.

Arthur struggled even more, pushing at his fingers and trying to get out. "No, ALFRED I WON'T EAT IT!"

"Yeah you will!"

"No I won't! and you can't make me! You might hurt me if you try and force me to eat."

"Oh, it won't be like _that._" Alfred grabbed his phone and started dialing a number.

"H-Hey, who are you calling?!"

"McD's. They deliver."

"SO?! You could still hurt me!"

"How?"

"You're big. And strong. And sometimes clumsy. I'm tiny. And…delicate." Arthur spat the word out. "You do the math."

"Stop saying that, goddamn! You'll be fine!"

"No I won't! If you don't kill me, the food will!"

"I won't kill you-" Alfred broke off for a moment as he quickly ordered and hung up. "There. I got you a salad."

"Oh, because a salad from That Place is so much healthier than the rest of the stuff." Arthur said, rolling his eyes.

"It's a SALAD!"

"It's from MCDONALD'S!" Arthur shot back.

"So?!"

"It's unhealthy! I refuse to eat it, just get me a scone or something. I should still have some of my last batch left over."

"Nope!" Alfred smiled. "McD's for you!"

"Alfred!" Arthur yelled, then sighed. "I think I preferred the cage…" he muttered.

"What?!"

"I'd rather be back in the cage than eat that monstrosity!"

"…It's not that bad…"

"Yes, it is."

"Have you ever tried it?"

"Yes, and I can quite say it was the worst thing I have ever eaten. I had to drown the taste with alcohol to get it out."

"Alcohol?! The fuck- it honestly isn't that bad, man!"

"Yes it is!"

"No, it's not, ant you're gonna eat it."

"You might as well put me back in the cage, then." Arthur said, his eyes hard. He hated the thing and seriously regretted getting it, but he would not eat anything from that place.

Alfred glared at him. "No." He placed him on the kitchen table.

"Then get me some rum." Arthur went over to the edge and peered out, gulping at the drop.

"What?! No!"

"I won't eat it, then."

"Rum? Seriously? You'll just get drunk!"

"It'll get the taste out."

"No! I'll give ya water. Das it!"

"Then I'm not eating it! I would rather starve!" Arthur snapped, moving back to the center of the table.

"C'mon! One piece! Of SALAD!"

"NO!"

"Yes!"

"No, absolutely not!"

"Yes! Absolutely!"

"No! Damnit Alfred, I'm not eating that!"

"Yes, you are! It'll be good!"

"It will not be good!"

"Yes it-" The doorbell rang and Alfred disappeared for a moment, returning with the food.

Arthur backed away from him. "I'm not touching that."

"Why not?!"

"We went over that already! I'm not eating it!"

"Yes you are!"

"No, I'm not, and you cannot make me!"

"I will!" Alfred started moving things around the table, using the salt shakers, sugar, and other objects to pen Arthur in.

"Oh, yes, an enclosure. That'll make me eat it." Arthur said sarcastically.

"Shaddup." When he finished, Alfred put the salad right next to him. "Eat or starve."

"I'll starve then."

"No!"

"Yes. Get me something else."

"No." Alfred sat down in front of him. "You aren't going until you do."

Arthur sat down on the table. "I don't exactly have anywhere to go…"

"Mhm. Eat."

"No."

"You will eventually."

"No I won't."

"Mhm." Alfred leaned back in his chair. "I'll wait."

"You can wait all day then."

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "You will get hungry"

"I'll live through it."

"Suuuuuuuuuuuure you will."

"If course I will, I'm a nation."

"…You'll still be hungry."

"So? I'll manage."

"No y'won't!"

"Yes I will. I'm not eating that."

"Just eeeeeaaaaat!"

"No. I refuse to eat it."

"Mhm. You will. In an hour."

"No I won't."

"We'll see."

"I suppose we will." Arthur got up and moved as far away from the salad as the enclosure would allow.

Alfred pursed his lips and pushed the salad towards him.

Arthur moved away from it again. By this time, his back was pressed against a pepper shaker.

Alfred made the pen smaller and moved the salad closer.

Arthur grunted as he was forced forward, and heaved the salad violently away from himself. He tried pushing at the shaker with his shoulder, but it didn't budge and he just ended up with an aching side.

Raising an eyebrow, Alfred closed him in even more.

"Stop it!" Arthur yelled, pushing at the enclosure again.

Alfred shook his head and placed a hand behind the objects. "Nope."

Arthur cursed. "Blast you, stop it!"

"Nope~!"

"Alfred, please! I won't eat it!"

"C'mon, it's not bad."

"Yes it is! How the hell do you know what they even put in there?!"

"Cuz I do! And it's not! It's SALAD!"

"I won't eat it!"

"You will eventually!"

"I will not!"

"In an hour!"

"No I won't!

"Mhm, okay~!"

"Are you at least going to eat your food?"

"…Yeah…" Alfred reached out and grabbed the bag, looking through it for his burger.

"The moment he looked away, Arthur reached out and grabbed a piece of the salad, stuffing it into his mouth and chewing quickly. He was really hungry and well, it couldn't be _that_ bad, could it?

Alfred looked up to grin. "Ya dead yet?"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about? I won't spontaneously die of starvation."

"You just ate some!"

"I-I did not!"

"Mmmmmhm." Alfred turned his attention back to the bag and pulled out his food.

"I didn't!" Arthur looked down. "I-I was hungry…" he muttered quietly.

"I told you!"

"Sh-Shut up, I'm not eating any more!" Arthur snapped, holding a hand across his stomach.

"Mhm, oookay." Alfred looked away.

Arthur reached out, but he stopped himself and moved away. "I won't."

"Hmm?" Alfred turned back around. "What?"

"I won't eat it."

Alfred snickered. "Suit yourself."

Arthur hugged himself with his good arm. "T-Take it away."

"Take what?"

"The bloody salad! Take it away from me!"

"Why?! It was fine, you didn't die!"

"I'm not eating any more of it."

"Why? You'll be hungry!"

"So? I'll be fine."

"No you won't- Iggy!" Alfred held a piece of salad in front of him. "Eaaat!"

Arthur forced himself to look away. "No, stop that!"

Alfred poked him with it. "C'moooooon!"

"Stop it! I will not eat that! Just take it away from me, Alfred!" Arthur said, slapping it away.

"Hey, calm down- you already ate a piece!"

"I won't eat any more, it was disgusting! Take it away!"

"Artie, stop it, now you're just being annoying."

"You're being even more annoying, trying to make me eat that!"

"I'm not annoying- YOU'RE annoying! And I haveta make you eat it, or you'll starve!"

"I wouldn't if you'd just get me something I want!"

"Shut up! You always eat salad- can you just eat?!"

Arthur shook his head and rammed his shoulder into the salt shaker, knocking it out of place just enough to make a hole he could wriggle through. When he was out, he ran away from Alfred, to the other side of the table.

Alfred sighed as he reached out and grabbed him. "Y'wanted to go into the cage, right?"

Arthur struggled, pushing against his fingers. "No, don't you do that!" he yelled wincing as his hurt arm was jerked. "Ow…" he muttered.

"Gah!" Alfred placed him in the pen again, moving the salt shaker back into its place and tightening the perimeter. "Sorry…"

"It's nothing. But Alfred, please get me something else. Even a cracker will do!" he pleaded, his eyes wide.

"You'll eat the salad! It's a normal salad!"

Arthur groaned and slowly reached for it, his hand stopping just before he touched it. "If I do, will you let me out?"

"If ya eat enough so you won't starve!"

Arthur grabbed three small pieces of salad and at them, then pushed the rest of it away. "There. I won't starve."

"Nooooo! You needa eat a legit meal!"

Arthur gritted his teeth. "I ate the salad, so let me out!"

"No! You're supposed to EAT, not freaking take a little piece!"

"I took more than a little piece."

"So?! They were TINY!"

"In case you failed to notice, so am I! I don't need a lot of food to keep me satisfied!"

"You need SOMETHING! Eat some more, or you're not getting out!"

Arthur took another piece and ate it. "There. Now let me out."

"More!"

He slowly took another piece, glaring at Alfred the whole time.

Alfred raised an eyebrow, nodding. "Mhm."

"So you'll let me out now?"

"Nope."

"What?! Why? I ate it!"

"More!"

Arthur took two more pieces. "There. Now let me out."

"A few more."

"But I'm not hungry anymore!"

"But you will be!"

"So when I am, I will eat something else! I'm not now, so let me out!" Arthur said, pushing against the barrier.

"…Fine." Alfred pulled the salt shaker out of the fort ant offered him a hand.

Ignoring it, Arthur walked out of the enclosure and away from him, to the other side of the table.

Alfred stared after him. "Heeey, Artie!"

Arthur stopped, but didn't turn around. "What?"

"Why are you going away?"

"To get away from you, obviously. I don't need you forcing me to do anything again."

"It was just so y'don't starve!"

Arthur spun around, glaring at him. "Fuck you, Alfred!" he snapped, his eyes hard and his voice harsh. "If you'd just listened to me in the first place, to what I wanted, the whole damn situation could have been avoided!" He stalked towards Alfred, his whole body shaking in anger. "You never listen! To anyone! No, because everything has to be done your way, no matter if it crashes and burns, or if it hurts someone in the process. I didn't want any of that food. How hard would it have been to just have gotten me something else? Huh?! But no, the brilliant hero has to have the last say. You know, I'm surprised you haven't crushed me yet during one of your absolutely _wonderful_ ideas." he said bitterly. He was standing right in front of Alfred at this point.

Alfred's eyebrows knitted together as his expression faltered. "I-I...wh-what?" he managed to choke out, literally speechless as he stared down at him.

Arthur continued glaring up at him, his mind and thoughts completely clouded over with anger. "Don't act all so innocent now, America. Repeatedly I've told you I don't need your help, or what I would like, but you have not once complied, unless it was something trivial, something that didn't matter." His lip curling, he turned on his heel and walked away from him, across the table. "Get out of my house. I'll be fine for the next few days. I don't need you around."

Gulping as he slowly stood, Alfred stared after him. "I-I did whatever you asked for, Artie...I...I only wanted you to try it..." His voice was breaking as he looked after him, almost pleadingly. "Your arm- you won't be fine, I'm just here to help."

Arthur faltered for a moment and stopped, keeping his back to him. "I'll be fine, I don't need your help. Get out." he said quietly, but his voice didn't sound as sure, and wasn't as strong or angry as it had been moments before.

"...I'm sorry, okay? Can I stay- I really just wanna help." Alfred pleaded, still staring at him.

"Are you deaf?! I said get out!" Arthur spun to face him, in the process wrenching his arm to the side. Pain spasmed across his face, but it was almost immediately replaced with his previous scowl.

Alfred stepped back. "Arthur- you can get hurt, come on! A-And I'm nothing you said. I'll get whatever you want. It was literally just a salad, please."

Arthur marched back to the edge of the table and stood right next to the edge of the wood. "What I WANT, is for you to leave!" His eyes flicked downwards at the drop for a second, and he involuntarily gulped, but he refused to step back.

Alfred clenched his teeth, a slightly shocked expression on his face. "I-It was just a salad- it was just a fucking salad, Arthur!"

"Perhaps it would have been, if you hadn't bloody FORCED it on me!"

"It was a fucking salad! It was food- I didn't e-even force you- you ate a bit of it yourself!"

"Because you wouldn't get me anything else! LIKE I ASKED YOU TO!"

"Th-That's not the point! It was JUST SALAD! It didn't kill you or poison you or anything!"

"No, that's not the point! The point is that you FORCED ME TO EAT IT! When I didn't want it!"

"I DIDN'T FUCKING FORCE YOU TO! I JUST...DIDN'T WANT YOU TO STARVE!"

"THEN YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN ME SOMETHING ELSE! SOMETHING I WANTED!"

"IT WAS JUST A SALAD, I-I DIDN'T HAVE ANY OTHER MONEY, DAMNIT!"

Arthur jerked back a step. "There was food in my fridge! I never asked you to buy anything for me!"

"I...I just wanted to get you something and get you to try it!"

"I told you, I already tried food from That Place, and I didn't like it!"

"But...whatever..."

Arthur stepped forward again, so he was on the edge once more. "NO! It's not whatever, now GET OUT!"

Alfred's eyebrows knit together again. "I-I thought you got over it!"

"I want you out of here, America!" His voice faltered again, but he continued onwards. "So just leave!" He looked down and gritted his teeth. "A-At least for a little while..." he said extremely quietly.

Alfred stared at him, face scrunching up a bit. "I can't. I can't let you get hurt if anything..."

Arthur angrily ripped tha bandage off his arm, suppressing any indication of pain. "NOTHING WILL HAPPEN! I WILL BE FINE, LIKE I TOLD YOU SO MANY TIMES BEFORE!" He flung the white cloth at him.

Alfred's mouth opened as he reached out to catch it. "Y-Your arm is broken..." he said, so softly he could barely hear himself as he felt his cheeks warm up and vision blur a bit.

"I. Am. Fine." Arthur snapped, lifting his arm sharply to prove it. Black spots danced in his vision and he swayed slightly. He bit his cheek to keep from screaming so hard that he tasted blood in his mouth, but he continued glaring up at him.

"I-I can't leave you, y-your arm, please..." He reached out with the cloth, holding it out to him.

"No! I don't need that!" Arthur jerked his arm again, and this time sank to his knees in pain. "I-I don't..." His vision turned black and he tipped forward, unconscious, off the edge of the table.

* * *

**A/N**: Oooh, more angst. Geez, can these two really never stop arguing? XD Don't hesitate to tell me what ya thought~!

Also, this story is slowly drawing to a close- there's about two or three chapters left. Just to let you guys know.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**: You guys are lucky. I'm not gonna be home tomorrow all day, so you get the next chapter now! I know it's late, but I didn't want to make you guys wait too long for it. It's another longer chapter, but enjoy!

* * *

Alfred dropped to his knees as he caught him, the tears finally spilling out onto his cheeks. "Arthur?!" He carefully turned him over in his palm, gently moving his finger to try and shake him a bit. "Arthur?!"

Arthur didn't respond, being out cold. His chest was barely moving up and down, and his breathing was shallow.

"F-Fuck." Alfred put him on the table. Fingers trembling, he bandaged him up quickly and picked him up again. He carried him up to his room and placed him on the bed, covering him with a blanket.

Arthur whimpered as he was moved, but didn't wake up.

Alfred gulped as he laid him down and left. He returned minutes later with some tea he had struggled to make, putting it on the night table. He then knelt by the side of the bed.

Arthur woke up a long while later, when it was dark out, but he had no desire to speak to Alfred nor face him, so he kept his eyes shit and his breathing the same and pretended to still be out.

Alfred was still kneeling there, staring at him and hoping he was alive. After a few more moments, though, he fell asleep.

When he heard Alfred's snores, Arthur opened his eyes and carefully got up and slid down the edge of the blanket, biting his cheek again to keep silent. He stumbled a bit on impact, but steadied himself and thought of someplace to hide. And idea in his head, he slowly went downstairs, searching for Alfred's jacket. It was lying in a heap by the door where Alfred had tossed it from the last time he had gone out. He walked over to it and burrowed into the pocket, thinking that Alfred wouldn't look there. It was hot and stuffy inside, but he found that if he kept near the opening, it was manageable.

Alfred had woken up at the small movements, but didn't say anything. He looked around to spot Arthur walking out, and after a few minutes followed. He went downstairs and sat down in the middle of the dark room. "...Artie?"

Arthur cursed silently, but didn't move or say anything.

"...If you want me to leave...I will..."

He stayed silent, hoping Alfred would take it as a message that yes, he wanted the American gone.

"Come out and tell me if you do...please."

Arthur refused to come out. He had a feeling if he did, Alfred would somehow persuade him to let him stay.

"...Arthur, I don't know what you want. Just...just come out and tell me."

Arthur found that he didn't know what he wanted himself anymore. His anger was almost gone by now, and he was starting to feel a bit guilty. After all, it HAD been only a salad...But he still stayed silent.

"...Um...Arthur?"

Arthur felt himself starting to get drowsy in the warm pocket.

"...Yo. Arthur. Can you just tell me, man?"

He shook his head, both as a no, even though Alfred wouldn't see him, and to stay awake.

"ARTHUR! C'MON, OR I'M...I'm leaving! That's what you want...right?"

Arthur nodded to himself as he started drifting off.

Alfred sighed when he didn't answer, a bit hurt. He got up and walked over to the door, opening it. He glanced back into the house for a moment, hoping Arthur would stop him. After a minute he left, shutting the door behind him.

When he was gone, Arthur shook himself fully awake and crawled out of the pocket, debating on what to do. He finally decided to just go back up to the bed. It took him a really long time to get upstairs to his room and onto the bed again. When he finally got up, he was exhausted and fell right asleep.

The next morning he woke uncomfortably cold. He looked over and realized Alfred wasn't there. He wondered briefly why, before the previous night's happenings came crashing down on him. His shoulders slumped a bit, and his head was hanging slightly as he slowly made his way down the stairs.

Alfred awkwardly walked up to the door and knocked gently. He was extremely worried about Arthur, but he tried to ignore it as he pushed the door open. "I'm here for my jacket...I'll get out right away." he said, waiting a few moments for an answer.

Arthur froze when the knocking came, and he shrank back into the stair he was on when the door opened. "A-Alfred?" he called out, his voice cracking slightly.

Alfred froze as well by the door. "S-Sorry, I just wanted my jacket..." He quickly looked around for it.

"N-No, it's alright." He shifted around awkwardly. "I-I want you to stay." he said, his voice barely loud enough to be heard.

"I...can't hear you." Alfred stopped for a moment, looking around and trying to locate Arthur.

"I...I want you to s-stay." Arthur repeated, a tiny bit louder this time, but still extremely quietly.

"...Hello?"

"Alfred, I want you to stay, damnit!" Arthur yelled out, and then closed his eyes, waiting for Alfred to mutter an excuse, get his jacket, and walk out the door again.

Alfred froze again. "...Where...Where are you?"

"The stairs. Second one from the bottom..." Arthur opened his eyes but looked down at the carpeting beneath his feet.

Alfred slowly walked over. "...Are you sure? I...I was pretty sure you really hated me..."

Arthur hugged himself with his good arm. "I don't...I never hated you." He still didn't look up.

"...Didn't sound like that yesterday." He crouched down in front of him.

Arthur shrank back a little more as Alfred's shadow loomed over him. "I know.."

"...Are you sure...?"

"I-I want you to stay...if you even want to..." Arthur cautiously peeked up at his face.

There was a hand in front of him, palm up. "...Yeah."

Arthur stepped into it and at down in the middle. He bit his lip, looking everywhere but at Alfred again.

Alfred slowly raised him up. "Where do you wanna go?" he asked softly.

"I don't really know. What do you want to do?"

"...I'm just here to help."

Arthur's stomach turned over a bit when he heard that. "Well...I would like your help in curing my problem of not knowing what to do...so what do you want to do?" he asked quietly.

"I...don't...I don't really care...or know." Alfred answered slowly, not exactly sure himself. Nonetheless, he didn't want to piss Arthur off.

Arthur fell silent for a moment. "I am a bit hungry..."

Alfred nodded. "What do you want?"

"Something edible?"

He chuckled softly. "Like?"

"Scrambled eggs?" Arthur suggested. "And toast?"

Alfred nodded as he carried him into the kitchen and placed him on the table. "Anythin' else?"

"Some tea? ...Thank you for the cup yesterday...and...and for catching me...even though you didn't have to..." The surface of the table suddenly became extremely interesting, and Arthur stared at it. "I'm sorry..."

"...Don't apologize..." Alfred said as he turned to start making the food. "And of course I had to..." He gulped, not saying the hero part. It hurt a bit- but he didn't want to say it if Arthur didn't like it...which he had proved yesterday...

"Why, because you're the hero? I didn't think heroes helped people who said things like that to them...None of which I really meant..." Arthur fell silent for a moment, and then drew himself up. "Of course I have to apologize, I said some horrid, ungentlemanly things to you, which is simply unacceptable, no matter how angry I was." As soon as he finished he slumped down again, watching Alfred somewhat warily through his hair.

Alfred flinched a bit at the words. "...Don't try and flatter me." he said softly, hands trembling as he got the pan and eggs out. His back was to Arthur. "It was true. Like always...so that's the matter..."

Arthur marched over to the side of the table nearest him and flung the nearest object he could pick up, which happened to be a spoon, at him. It hit him on the shoulder. "It was not true! And I'm not trying to flatter you, I'm saying the truth!"

"O-Ow, fuck!" Alfred turned, rubbing his shoulder. He immediately turned back without another word and focused on the eggs.

Arthur hurriedly stepped back from any movable objects. "S-Sorry! I'm not doing a very good job fixing this, am I...?"

"N-No...just...whatever..." he said quietly as the toaster beeped. He reached over to take the toast and placed it on a plate.

Arthur sat down on the tale. "It's not whatever..." he muttered. "I hurt you again.."

"...You didn't. Truth doesn't hurt." he muttered, turning and placing the toast down before focusing back on finishing the eggs. When they were done, he turned around again and let them fall from the pan onto the plate.

Arthur laughed humorlessly. "Truth hurts more than lies, most of the time."

Alfred didn't say anything as he pulled back. "Um...can you eat with your hands? I...never got a fork for you..."

Arthur glanced at the food with something akin to disgust, but then he sighed and rolled up his sleeves. "Yes. I will be fine."

"I...wait." Alfred disappeared out of the room, returning a few minutes later. He placed a paperclip onto the table. The metal was bent severely out of proportion into something that resumed clippers or tongs.

"Alfred...while I appreciate the gesture, there is no way this is safe." Arthur picked up the paperclip and held it up, smiling slightly. He placed it back down and ripped off a small piece of toast and loaded it with some eggs. He took a bite. "It's really good." he said once he'd swallowed.

Alfred sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "...Thanks..."

Arthur ate almost half of what was on the plate before he stepped off it and lay down. "God, I ate too much..." he moaned, folding his good hand across his stomach.

"...Um...congrats?" Alfred looked at him, smiling a bit.

Arthur turned onto his side, moaning some more. "No...that's not a good thing..." He suddenly glared at Alfred, but the glare carried no bite. "It's your fault, you know. Making such bloody good food...couldn't stop..." he muttered, trailing off.

"...Thanks. But seriously, it was just eggs..." Alfred muttered, still smiling. "...Well...what do you want to do now?"

"Something that doesn't involve moving."

"..I'm CARRYING you the entire time."

"I don't know then. You pick. Anything you want."

"...I'm here to help you." Alfred sat down. "Which means what you want."

"I don't know what I want. No, scratch that. I want...you to pick."

"I don't care."

"Well that's bloody brilliant. There must be something you want to do."

"...Nothing."

Arthur opened his mouth again, but instead fell silent. He didn't say anything for a while, but then took a deep breath. "Did you worry? When I...fell?"

"Yeah! Of course I did!"

"Why...?" Arthur asked, really quiet again. "How- How long was I out for?"

"I...I don't know...Like...it was dark when you woke up. And then you...you just left."

Arthur picked himself up and walked over to him, leaning against his wrist. "Ah... sorry about that. That was...quite idiotic, was it not?"

"I...I don't know." He shrugged. "Where'd you go?"

"...Your jacket pocket..."

"Why?"

"Seemed like a place you wouldn't look for me."

"...Oh..."

Arthur sat down with his back against Alfred's wrists and pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on them. "Incredibly idiotic of me..." he muttered. "Did you go home?"

"...No."

"Where were you, then?"

"Bar."

"You didn't get drunk, did you?" A reprimanding tone crept into Arthur's voice.

"Hah. I got a soda."

"Oh. I would have gotten drunk." Arthur shrugged. "Take my mind off some things."

Alfred shrugged as well. "Didn't wanna. I just...I wanted a soda. And it was dark and quiet..."

Arthur let out a soft chuckle. "You don't go to a bar to get a soda." he said, then sighed. "Thank you for coming back, even if it was only to get your jacket." he muttered.

"I do! They tried to put vodka in there but I can see everything...!" Alfred stopped to look at him. "Not...just for my jacket..."

Arthur looked up at him briefly. "Why else?"

"To make sure you didn't get eaten or something..."

"I was _in my house_."

"With ghosts!"

"There are no ghosts!"

"Well you're old, and ghosts like cold places!"

Arthur whacked his wrist after he said that. "I am not old!" he protested, glaring up at him.

Alfred snickered and pulled back slightly. "Uh huh, but..."

"But _what_ exactly?" Arthur asked, hitting him again.

"Well..." Alfred shifted a little, nervously glancing at the table. "I came back...and I'll stay if you wanna."

"Yes...if you would stay that would be...nice." Arthur said softly. "I've thought of what I want to do."

Alfred smiled softly that Arthur wanted him to stay, and he nodded. "Kay...what is it?"

"Take me to the park again?"

"...Are you sure? Why?"

"Yes. I won't get too many other chances to go outside when I'm this small. It could be...fun. Are you going to take me or not?"

"Oh- y-yeah, course!" Alfred stood up and moved his hand to offer the tiny nation his palm.

Not expecting the movement, Arthur fell back. He stood up, scowling, and dusted himself off before climbing on. "Let's go, then."

"Are you sure sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure sure. Nothing will go wrong, don't worry."

"You don't know that, something can go wrong!"

Arthur gritted his teeth. "It won't. I...I have you..." he said unwillingly, not exactly _too_ happy that he had to rely on the American for protection.

Mouth opened to retort, Alfred froze and stared at him. After a few seconds, his lips slowly curled into a small smile. "...Alrighty then Artie. Where do ya wanna sit?"

"Your shoulder." Arthur replied shortly.

Alfred raised his palm up to his shoulder without question, watching Arthur out of the corner of his eyes.

Arthur climbed on and moved really close to his neck. "Come on, then. Let's get going."

Alfred shifted a bit, a shudder going through him at the touch. He giggled awkwardly and shook a little.

Arthur clung to him even more tightly at the movements. "What's with you? Alfred, what are you doing?!"

"Y-You're tickling me..."

"Oh, sorry." Arthur moved away, fighting for some balance.

"No, no, it's fine, I was just surprised a bit."

He moved back slowly, not getting as close as before. "Go."

"Oi, calm down." Alfred huffed and started to walk. "Tell me if anything."

Arthur moved closer still as he started walking. "Go to the same park as we went to last time."

"...What if I said no?"

Arthur blinked. "Then I guess I'd have no bloody say in it, would I?" he muttered, slightly angrily.

Alfred snickered. "That's right, I'm boss~! Sure, sure. Just give some directions if I head wrong..."

A flash of anger burned through Arthur for a moment. "You're going the right way now." he said sullenly.

"Cool." Alfred fell silent, putting one of his hands in his pants pocket.

They reached the park without incident, though Arthur huddled closer whenever someone came close to Alfred. "Could you set me down somewhere?" he asked once they'd entered it.

Alfred nodded and made his way to a far corner of the park. He made sure there was no danger around and slowly let him down.

The moment he was close enough to the ground, Arthur hopped off and started out across the grass.

"Don't go far!"

Arthur waved his hand but disregarded his words, heading quite far away. He was soon lost in the grass. He didn't notice the cat stalking him as he walked along until after a few minutes later, when it pounced and picked him up in its mouth.

"Wha- Let me go, you blasted creature!" he yelled out, wincing as his arm and leg were strained.

The cat set him down a few feet away by the roots of a tree and crouched down before him, licking its lips and keeping it's glowing yellow eyes locked on the nation's tiny form. Arthur's blood ran cold as he realized that it was playing with him, much like it would with a mouse. It batted lightly at him and his back hit the tree trunk. Three words ripped themselves from his throat as he curled into a trembling ball.

"AMERICA! Save me!"

Alfred winced upon hearing the small shout. "Arthur, holy shit!" It was a few feet away, and he noticed a cat looking intently at something at the base of a tree trunk. He ran over and pushed the cat to the side, receiving a loud hiss. But he focused on grabbing the curled up nation and quickly standing up with Arthur in his hands. "Are you okay?!"

Arthur clung to his fingers tightly, still shaking a bit. "Y-Yes, thank you..."

"Holy crap, I told you not to go far!" Alfred's fingers curled around him a little more, protectively. "Stupid cat."

"I-I would have been fine if not for it." Arthur muttered, rubbing his arm, both out of pain and embarrassment.

"We're going home!"

Arthur stared at him. "W-What?! No! We just got here!"

"And you almost got eaten!"

"Key word being 'almost'!"

"Whatever!" Alfred huffed and turned heading for the exit of the park and towards home.

"Alfred! No!" Arthur tugged at his fingers. "Stay here!"

"No! I don't want you hurt!"

"I won't be hurt! Stop walking! Now!"

"No! And you could be! The cat can come back!"

"It won't! I'll stay by you if you want me to. Just stop walking! There's nothing to do at the house!"

"So? I don't care Art, I'm not taking chances!"

"No! Alfred, I don't want to go yet!" Arthur shouted up at him.

"Arthur, shut the fuck up already! Please, just stop!"

"You just stop! Literally! Stop walking and let me down NOW, or I swear I'll jump!"

"No." Alfred closed his fingers around him and kept on walking, ignoring him now.

"Alfred!" Arthur struggled in his grip, trying to get free. "Let me down!"

"I'm not gong to...just stop..." Alfred muttered and kept walking.

"Stop what, Alfred put me down!"

Alfred got back to the house in silence and set him down on the table once he got into the kitchen.

"That's not what I meant!" Arthur snapped, and turned away from him in silence. He walked over to the edge and peered down at the drop.

"Do you wanna go down?" Alfred asked softly.

"I don't need your help to do it!" Arthur muttered as he jumped down onto the chair.

Alfred watched, guilt gathering up in his stomach. "...Okay..."

Arthur hopped down onto the floor next, and walked across to the doorway. It was so light, so unnoticeable that he wasn't really bothered by it, but he was limping.

"Art? Arthur, the door's closed, you aren't leaving..." Alfred's voice slowed down as he suddenly noticed the limp. "Are you okay?!"

Arthur stopped, realizing he was heading towards the front door instead of the living room. "Yes, I'm fine." he threw over his shoulder as he changed direction.

"...You...don't need help or anything?"

"No. I do not need any assistance from you, America."

The guilt in Alfred's stomach seemed to stab him as the tone and words hit him- especially the name. "...M'sorry..."

"Don't be." Arthur muttered, slowing down. Alfred's tone of voice made his anger all but vanish.

"I really am, okay? I was scared you'd get hurt again..."

"You shouldn't be." Arthur said, shaking his head. "Don't worry about me."

"I needa! You always worry about me...I'll leave if you want..."

Arthur stopped entirely now and turned around. "That won't be necessary. And don't worry about me." He gave Alfred a small, sad smile. "I'll be fine."

Alfred seemed to blush a little in surprise, mainly because of the smile when Arthur was so angry a few seconds ago. "Er...okay..."

Arthur shifted slightly. "Actually...my leg hurts a bit...from that blasted cat." he said, the smile fading.

"Did it bite you?" Alfred forced himself to keep his feet planted to the ground, though, not wanting to immediately bother him.

"It didn't break the skin but..." Arthur suddenly trailed off, thinking that Alfred didn't really care since he hadn't moved. "You know what? Never mind." He turned and walked away.

"N-No, Artie, come on!" Alfred took one small step. "What happened, let me help!"

Arthur stopped again, but didn't turn around. "It just...squeezed it a bit. Up high, by my hip." He rubbed a spot on his upper thigh.

"I can...bandage you or something if you wanna!"

"You can try that, I suppose."

"Can I?"

"Yes." Arthur took a step closer to him.

Alfred nodded and crouched down, reaching out with his palm. Arthur walked up to him and touched his fingertips, looking straight ahead.

"You...you can sit." Alfred said, blinking a little.

Arthur sighed and sat down in the middle of his palm, careful to keep his leg straight.

"...You okay?"

Arthur smiled up at him with false cheer. "Yes. Perfectly fine."

"Why'd you hesitate?"

"I didn't. I'm really fine."

"Alright." Alfred slowly carried him to the bathroom before setting his palm on the sink. "Step off."

Arthur stepped off, slipped on some water, and tumbled down to the bottom of the sink. "Oww..." he muttered.

"Artie!" Alfred pouted a little as he wiped off the water with his sleeve, and moved Arthur back up. "You okay?"

"Blasted water..." Arthur said, glaring at where the small puddle had been. "Y-Yes, thank you."

Alfred nodded and gently ran a finger down Arthur's back. "You sure?"

Arthur shivered at the touch and nodded. "I'm no worse off than I was before."

"Alrighty." Alfred sat down on the toilet seat and turned to look at him. "Can you move it?"

"Of course I can." Arthur snapped, getting up quickly to prove it. There was some pain from the motion, but he was careful not to let any of it show on his face.

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "Alright...you aren't bleeding or nothin', right?"

"No..." Arthur took off his pants, revealing his boxers. The pattern was small, and he hoped that Alfred would be too far away the whole time to see the unicorns. "Alright then...bandage it up. Just be careful."

Alfred snickered softly as he pulled out a few of the smaller bandages in the first-aid kit. He then leaned forward and carefully started to wrap up Arthur's leg.

Arthur winced at first, but then kept his expression perfectly blank. "Make sure that I'll be able to move later."

"Uh huh." Alfred focused on wrapping him up, his tongue sticking out a bit from the side of his mouth due to the level of concentration.

"How much longer?" Arthur asked, after a few minutes of silence.

"Be patient, I don't wanna screw up."

Arthur huffed and crossed his arms, but stayed silent.

After another moment, Alfred tied off the dressing and pulled back with a grin. "There~!"

Arthur examined the work carefully, trying to move his leg. "Not bad. Thank you." he said quietly, pulling on his pants again.

Alfred nodded, waiting for a moment as he did before holding his hand out to him. "You should rest now..."

"I don't need rest, I'll be fine." Arthur settled down in the middle of his palm. "Since you refused to stay in the park, think of something we can do now."

Alfred huffed at him. "Rest."

Arthur crossed his arms. "No. I don't need rest."

"Yeah, you do!"

"I don't! Look!" Arthur flexed his leg to show him, biting his lip to keep from making a sound.

"Stop! You're gonna hurt yourself!"

"I am not!" Arthur jumped from his hand to the counter, landing heavily. He recovered quickly and turned to look at him, breathing heavily. "See?"

"Artie!" Alfred picked him up gently. "Are you okay? Don't do that!"

"I-I'm fine, I told you!"

"You're stammering!" Alfred took him out of the bathroom and started heading upstairs.

"I swear I'm fine!" Arthur couldn't help but gasp at the sudden swinging motion, and grasped on tightly to Alfred's fingers. "I'm not stammering, it was just a slip up."

Alfred steadied his hand. "Sorry, and yeah, you aren't!"

"Of course I'm not stammering, I told you." Arthur loosened his hold. "So I don't need rest."

"Uh huh you do." Alfred walked into the bedroom, closed the door, and placed him down onto the pillow.

Arthur eased himself off the pillow and gingerly walked to the edge. "Let me down. I refuse to simply lay here and do nothing."

"Oh come on, I'll sleep with ya."

Arthur blinked. "It's early."

"Naw, it isn't- what time is it?" Alfred asked, looking around for a clock.

Arthur pointed to the alarm clock right on his beside table. "It's only 6:30."

Alfred stopped looking and blinked at it. "Wait...why does it say 18, the- Oh right, right."

Arthur chuckled. "You should switch your clocks to twenty-four hour time, it'll make things easier. Now let me down."

"Naw, we're gonna sleep!"

"Alfred!" Arthur sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, his feet dangling over the side. "Fine, I'll get down myself."

"No! Art!" Alfred knelt down and held and hand out under him. "Come on!"

Arthur hesitated for a moment before sighing and sliding down into his palm. "Don't call me Art."

"Alright, fine Art." Alfred raised him back up to the pillow.

"Don't call me that!" Arthur snapped, hitting his hand.

"Fine, fine..." Alfred wriggled his hand slightly.

Arthur stepped off and shivered as he left the warmth of Alfred's skin and hit the cold sheets. "Y-You'll stay, then?"

Alfred blinked. "Er...if ya want."

"Well you said you would, but if it's too much trouble then leave." Arthur said, burrowing under the covers, still shivering.

"No, no I...if you want."

"Just get over here git, it's cold." Arthur snapped, curling up a bit and slowly stretching.

"...Well come out, so I don't lay on ya." Alfred shot back. He felt weird going to sleep in his clothes, so he stripped down to his boxers.

Arthur turned slightly red and turned away as he got out from under the covers. "Hurry up." he said, rubbing his arms.

Alfred snickered at his blush as he slowly got in. "What? I don't sleep in clothes and a jacket."

The mattress dipped slightly under his weight, and Arthur clung to the pillowcase so he wouldn't slide down. "You could have left your shirt on." he muttered.

"Ew, but I wore it all day." Alfred got comfortable and looked down at him. "You okay?"

"No. I told you, it's cold."

"..." Alfred raised a hand and gently placed it down over him. "Better?"

Arthur wriggled slightly underneath it to get into a more comfortable position before nuzzling briefly into his fingers. "Yes. Thank you."

Alfred smiled. "Night, Artie."

"Good night, America." Arthur murmured back.

Alfred's smile grew a bit bigger. Careful to keep his hand steady, he leaned over and nuzzled to him gently, before pulling back and closing his eyes.

Arthur stiffened at the suddenness, but then smiled. He couldn't fall asleep for a long time, though. When he heard Alfred's snores, he wriggle out from under his hand and slowly limped over to the other end of the bed, not bothering to hide his discomfort anymore. From the corner by one of the bedposts, he could look out the window, and he stared up at the skyline and moon for a while. He fell asleep there, clinging to the wood of the bed frame.

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**A/N**: Okay, so I'm pretty sure that next update is going to be the last chapter of this story. And I'm sorry if I didn't respond to your reviews, but my weekend was just really hectic, so I didn't have time. Anyhow, I'm off to get some sleep, and I'll see you guys again on Wednesday!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N**: Hey guys! Last chapter! Finally...(lol no, I'm gonna miss this story...) I really want to thank all of you who favorited, and reviewed and followed, and even read this story. I really wasn't expecting that many of you. So thanks! I love all of you guys, and you all get cyber-hugs!

* * *

"Mornin' Arti-" Alfred froze when his fingers felt only the pillow. "Artie?! Where the hell are ya?!" He was scared to move, though, not wanting to accidentally crush him.

Arthur was instantly startled awake. "Huh- I'm here, Alfred." he called out, groaning as he slowly stretched.

"W-Where?!"

"By your legs. In the corner."

Alfred blinked and glanced down. "What the hell?!"

"I-I may have fallen asleep there..." Arthur mumbled.

"Why- how?!"

Arthur shifted slightly. "Well, I couldn't fall asleep for a while..."

"...And?!"

"And nothing. I was looking out the window for a while and fell asleep there. Nothing happened."

"...Wh...Fine, well, come up here!"

Arthur slowly made his way up to Alfred's head, trying to walk with a normal stride. "So now what? We still have a few hours. And don't you dare tell me 'I don't know'."

Alfred watched him carefully. "...I didn't kick you, did I?"

"No, don't worry. You weren't even close." Arthur smiled slightly up at him.

Alfred sighed in relief. "Good, ugh, well I'm not sure, we should eat first."

"Alright. So make something."

"What do you want?"

"Doesn't matter." Arthur replied, and then paused. "But don't even think about getting fast food again." he added.

Alfred snickered. "Naw, I don't eat it _every_ day."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Oi, shut up. So, what do you want?"

"I also find it surprising that you're not any fatter by now." Arthur continued, smirking now.

Alfred blushed. "Shut up, I am not!"

"Oh, of _course_ not, Alfred. Then what is all that flab around your stomach?"

"Can you shut up?" Alfred huffed and got up, grabbing his shirt and pants and pulling them on. "Muscle. M'not flexing."

"Of course, of course. I think I'd like some oatmeal."

"...Ew."

"Fine then!" Arthur turned away. "Make whatever you want."

"No, come one, just choose something."

"I already did. But if you won't make it, then I'll have to settle on what you _will_ make."

"Choose something else."

Arthur sighed. "Just make some toast."

"Kay. Wanna come?"

"Yes."

Alfred came back over to the bed and reached his palm out.

Arthur climbed on and settled down. "Let's go."

Alfred nodded and started off towards the kitchen, careful to keep his hand steady. "...Sleep good?"

"Other than I fell asleep in an awkward position and my back hurts now, it was fairly nice. And you?"

Alfred smiled a bit. "Mkay. Your English mattress sucks."

Arthur whacked him. "It does not! I've been sleeping perfectly comfortably on it for years!"

"Cause you're old! My bed's better."

"I am not old!" Arthur hit him again with every word. "And it is most certainly not."

"Uh huh." Alfred placed him on the counter. "It is, and you are."

"I am not, stop saying that!"

Alfred laughed and turned around. "Toast, right? What bread?"

"Sourdough. You'll have to go out and buy some."

"What the hell is that?!"

"Ask the baker."

"But he's gonna be mean!"

"No he's not, just go!"

"He's gonna say shit about me being American and stupid!"

"He won't if you just ask him for a loaf or two of sourdough. Nevermind asking what it is, he'll know."

"Oh, come on, I wanna know!"

Arthur sighed. "It's a type of bread that's slightly sour in taste. That's all. It's also very good."

"Was that too damn hard?" Alfred sighed as well. "Fine, where's some money?"

"Don't you have any? Stop by a currency exchange on your way."

"...I'm buying _you_ food."

"Fine. There's a wallet in my jacket pocket in the closet."

Alfred grinned. "How much should I take?"

"Fifteen pounds should be enough. Although maybe twenty five, if you want to get two loaves...?" Arthur shook his head. "No. Just get one. Fifteen is enough."

"Fiftee- damn, shit costs a lot here!"

"Of course it costs a lot, this is England." Arthur replied. "You may not need the full fifteen, but it's better to be prepared."

Alfred rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. And you say my economy sucks." The American went over to where directed previously, grabbed Arthur's wallet, and waved it as he started for the door. "Want anything else?"

"My economy is perfectly fine; all the prices are just high here. Perhaps because the quality is so much better than in America?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow. "And no, just the bread."

Alfred rolled his eyes, ignoring the comment. "Bread it is." He then walked out. About fifteen minutes later, he returned with a loaf of sourdough bread, and bags full of a few other things. He dropped the wallet on the living room table and came into the kitchen.

Arthur, who had settled down comfortably, stood as he came in. "What else did you buy?" he asked suspiciously, watching him closely.

Alfred pursed his lips. "...Stuff."

"Well...how much did you spend?" Arthur asked, crossing his arms.

"...A bit. Don't worry about it, not much."

Arthur sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and turning around. "Was it over twenty?"

"Dunno. Now shash, I'm making English toast."

"Fine. Just don't burn it or anything. There's butter on the top shelf of my fridge."

Alfred snorted. "Only you burn food, Artie. I'm a great chef~!"

Arthur turned slightly red at that. "Shut up, I am not the only one!" he yelled up at him.

The American snickered. "Yeah, you are. Always, since I was little."

Arthur cast around for something to fling at him, but unfortunately for him, the counter was empty. "Not everything!"

"Everything everything!"

"That is not true, you twit! My tea comes out perfectly!"

"Bland and boooring!"

Arthur practically jumped up and down in rage. "It is not, so belt up! It's so much better that horrible crap-coloured...liquid YOU drink!"

"...Are you talking about cola?"

"No- well, that as well!"

"Well it's a lot better than your tea- plus you drink my stuff!" As he said this, a plate went down next to Arthur with toast on it.

Arthur took the opportunity to latch onto his hand and hit it a few times. "It is not, nothing is better than tea!"

Alfred laughed and raised him up. "What was that?"

The Brit clung tighter to his hand, but continued hitting at him. "I said nothing beats my tea, you idiot!"

"Sorry?" Alfred asked, gently shaking him.

Arthur gasped as he was dislodged a bit and scrambled back up to his previous position. "You heard me! Your coffee and cola are horrendous!"

Alfred laughed. "I don't really care about your opinion Artie, since you're so bland and all."

"I am not bland, you just have no bloody appreciation for my refined tastes! Nor do you have any glimmer of good taste in any cell of your body!"

"Guess who I got it from?" He lowered Arthur back to the table.

With one final hit, Arthur hopped back onto the table, glad for the stability. "I have no clue. Certainly not me." He sniffed and marched over to the food, his head held high.

Alfred laughed, sitting down across from him. "Damn Art. You're like one of those prized pups at dog shows." He snickered and watched on.

Arthur broke off a piece of bread and flung it at him. "Do not compare me to a dog!"

Alfred dipped his head and caught the piece in his mouth, chewing. "Too late, Art."

"Don't call me Art." Arthur huffed at him, turning his back and starting to eat.

Alfred smiled and watched him eat, muttering an 'Alrighty, Art' as he did.

Arthur finished the toast and got up, heading as far away from Alfred as the table would allow. He sat down on the opposite edge and started resolutely at the wall. He glanced briefly as the clock on the wall to find it about 9. 'Just three more hours...' he told himself.

"...Hey, you okay there?"

Arthur stuck out his hand and gave Alfred the two-fingered salute. "Of course I am. I'm just mad at you. And don't call me Art!"

Alfred grinned. "Why would ya be mad, Artie?"

"Because you are annoying, as usual."

The American's cheeks puffed out. "Am not!"

"Yes you are." Arthur didn't bother turning around.

"...Hey, sorry, but Art is a cute nickname, Artie."

"It is not cute! Artie's already bad enough!"

Alfred laughed and grinned. "It's cute!"

Arthur turned his head and shot Alfred a death glare, the ferocity of which was somewhat lessened by the angle his head was at. "It. Is. NOT!"

"It is~!"

"Belt up, it is not!" Arthur suddenly stood and looked up at Alfred. "Could I have some popcorn?"

Alfred blinked and stared at him. "...Popcorn?"

"Yes. Popcorn. Could I get some?" Arthur repeated slowly, pronouncing each word with care.

"...You. Want popcorn?"

"Is that so bloody hard to understand?! Yes, I would like some popcorn!"

"You- where is it?"

Arthur thought for a moment, not actually sure where it was stored. "Cabinet above the fridge." he said eventually.

Alfred stood and opened the indicated cabinet, looking through it. "Where?"

"In the back?"

He nodded and reached back, grabbing a bag and pulling it out. "This?"

"Yes. Put it in for one minute and forty-five seconds."

"Alrighty." Alfred complied and looked at him. "Why did you want popcorn again?"

Arthur smiled at him, and then shrugged. "I was just in the mood for some popcorn." he replied innocently.

"...You sure? Nothing getting to your head or something?"

"No, I feel perfectly fine."

"Alri-" There was a beep, and Alfred opened, pulling the bag out before dropping it onto the counter and yelping. "Ow, hot!"

Arthur took an immediate step forward, his brows furrowing. "Alfred, are you alright?! Show me!" he commanded, holding out his hand.

Alfred put a finger in his mouth, smiling softly and shaking his head. "No- m't's fine, just a 'wittle hah'wt."

"Show me, damnit! It could be serious!"

Alfred shook his head. "S'fine!" He ripped open the bag with one hand and dumped the popcorn into a bowl. "There y'go."

"If you're sure..." Arthur walked over to the bowl and grabbed a piece. "Thank you for the ammun- err, food. Thank you for the food." he said, taking a small bite out of the kernel.

Alfred nodded. "Sure...what do you want to do now?"

Arthur turned around and flung the piece at him, hitting him square on the nose. "I'm not sure, you pick. We have about two and a half hours." he said easily, picking up another piece.

Alfred blinked, before raising an eyebrow. "Really. Really?"

Arthur gave him a confused book. "What? Is there a problem?" He slowly ate the piece.

Alfred rolled his eyes. "You forgot I can just take the bowl if you piss me off too much with throwing that popcorn."

"You can't!" Arthur flung another piece at him and then clung to the side of the bowl fiercely.

"Then don't throw shit at me."

"Then stop being annoying!"

"I am not! You're always the annoying one!" Arthur grabbed one last piece and ate it before moving away from the bowl. "Fine, forget the blasted popcorn." he muttered, stalking back towards the opposite side of the table.

"Hey, come on, I made it already, you could at least eat it now!"

"I'm too small to eat all of that, in case you'd forgotten."

"Well yeah, but you barely ate anything- flung most of it at me- but still!"

Arthur sighed and walked back to the bowl. He picked up another piece and held it out to him. "...Help me eat it, then."

"...I don't wanna eat all your food or be annoying, Artie."

His arm dropped fractionally, but after a moment Arthur lifted it back into its previous position. "I'm offering it to you."

"...Thank you." Alfred gave him a small smile and reached out to take it.

Arthur placed the piece in his palm, and before Alfred had a chance to move away, dumped a few more kernels in his hand. He then took some for himself. "At least it's got little butter on it..." he muttered to himself as he ate.

Alfred grinned and popped them all into his mouth. "Y'want more?"

"No. Definitely not." Arthur held out another piece for him.

He took it. "Seriously? All that popcorn makin' for nothing?"

Arthur shook his head and ate a few more pieces before backing away from the bowl. "God, I can barely move." he moaned lying down on the table.

"Aww, Artie." Alfred snickered, reaching out and patting his head. "Wanna go lay on the couch?"

The Brit squirmed away from him. "Yes. Take me there."

Alfred held out a hand to him. "Or, do I need to pick you up?"

"Just pick me up and take me there."

Alfred snickered again and picked him up by the front of his shirt, plopping him into his other palm. He then carried him over to the couch and sat down, placing him on his lap. "There."

"Thank you..." Arthur murmured, curling into the fabric of his pants. "What time is it?"

"Dunno. I don't know where your stupid clocks are."

"There's one on the wall, idiot."

"Oh. An hour since we woke up." Alfred shrugged.

Arthur nodded and propped himself up with his arms, so he was sitting. "Well, what now?"

"Well...how long till ya grow?"

"About two hours or so?"

"Ahh...whatcha wanna do then? I mean, before you go back to being tall and stuff."

"I don't know, I asked you. Pick something."

"You have two hours before you go to normal- isn't there something you wanna try?"

"Hmm...I guess there's one thing that might be fun..." Arthur said, and then stood. "Hold still." He began climbing up Alfred's shirt, aiming for his shoulder.

Alfred blinked, looking down at him and smiling softly. "Mkay."

It took him a few minutes, and he slipped a couple of times, but eventually Arthur made it to his shoulder. He leaned against Alfred's neck, breathing heavily. He looked up briefly, and then down at the couch for another quick moment. "Can you lift me to your hair?" he asked, knowing that he wouldn't be able to climb up there on his own.

"Whatever ya want, Cap'n." Alfred said, raising his palm out to him after a moment.

Arthur glanced at him as he stepped on. "Why are you calling me Cap'n now?"

Alfred rolled his eyes and raised him up to his hair.

Arthur hopped off and landed in the middle of his head. Alfred's hair was incredibly soft, and for a while he simply lay down in a nest of it. After a few minutes though, he started walking around. He came across Nantucket and pulled on it lightly. "How on earth does this stay up?" he wondered out loud as he tugged on it harder.

Alfred didn't mind him there, until he touched the slight curl. Then the American yelped and bit his lip. "D-Don't touch that!"

Arthur didn't tug on it anymore, but he didn't release the strand either. "Why? What's wrong with it?" He ran his hands up and down the piece, inspecting the roots and tip for any weird properties.

"Ah!" Alfred bit his lip harder to stop himself from letting anything out as he reached up to pick Arthur up and drop him in his lap.

Startled by the sudden move and drop, Arthur simply lay there and stared up at him. "Alfred? What was that?"

"N-Nothing!" Alfred shifted nervously. "Nothing, I said not ta touch it!"

Thrown around slightly from the movement, Arthur recovered his balance and gripped Alfred's shirt tightly. "That wasn't nothing, you are acting strange. Why?"

"I was not acting strange, and no reason." Alfred pouted. "My hair, my rules."

Arthur shook his head, but didn't press the matter. "Alright then, that was what I wanted to do. So now you choose something. We still have an hour."

"...That's it."

"What?"

"That's all ya wanna do? If I was tiny, I'd be going on adventures and stuff!"

"I am honestly sick and tired of being tiny, so yes. That is all I wanted to do." He glanced up at Alfred, an eyebrow raised. "I can still arrange it to make you tiny, you know. Would you like that?"

Alfred blinked, but he wasn't scared. So he snickered instead. "Uh huh. You'd just screw up again."

"Of course I wouldn't. I'd make sure to use the right hair this time. And I think I would take...that strand." Arthur pointed at Nantucket. "Yes...then it would turn out perfectly."

Alfred went pale. "Yeah- uh- _no_."

Arthur smiled, but it faded when he started smoking. "Wha-" It was too early. But he supposed the process had been sped up since he was the caster of the spell. At least it hadn't happened when he was perched in Alfred's hair. In a few seconds, Arthur was back to normal, fully-clothed, and seated in Alfred's lap. Once the smoke cleared he immediately jumped off and to the side, landing on the edge of the couch and barely managing to keep himself from falling over onto the floor. "S-Sorry, the damn thing sped up..." he muttered. At least all his injuries had healed. He felt a bit dizzy, but he shrugged it off.

"Whoa, watch out!" Alfred reached out to grab his shirt and pull him back before he fell off the couch. "Wow...well, you're...back to normal..." It felt weird now, and he looked at him with a soft smile.

"Yes, I suppose I am." Alfred suddenly seemed smaller somehow, but that was probably because by now, Arthur was used to him towering over him. He straightened his shirt. "I- Thank you. For, you know. Staying with me." he said, slightly awkwardly.

Alfred nodded and stood. "Yeah, sure, no problem. I'll be going then, since ya don't need me anymore, Artie."

"Oh. Alright then, if you wish." Arthur nodded as well and rose to his feet. The room spun and he nearly fell over again, barely managing to catch himself on the couch to keep upright. "I'll see you at the next World Meeting, then." Damn, he didn't know what was wrong with him, or why his balance was so shot. He could barely take a few steps without his legs trembling. He thought it was because of the drastic growth, but he wasn't sure. He waved unenthusiastically at Alfred as he walked into the kitchen, using the wall for support the whole time.

Alfred blinked and hurried over to him, holding him upright by the arms. "Whoa there, Art. I don't think you should be so eager to walk yet..."

"Nonsense, I'm perfectly fine." Except he wasn't. When Alfred had gripped his arms, he let go of the wall, consequently sinking slightly. He shook his head and forced his legs to stand straight, but he couldn't stop them from shaking. "See?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever with your lies." Alfred rolled his eyes and kept holding him. "Maybe I should stay a bit, to help ya get used to your sea legs?" He snickered softly.

"I do not have sea legs!" Arthur protested. "Although, if you would stay just a bit longer..."

"Of course, of course." Alfred said with a small laugh.

"Alright. If you could help me to the kitchen?" Arthur said, nodding in the direction of the doorway.

Alfred nodded and slowly led him over to the kitchen, sitting him down in the nearest chair. "You good, kiddo?"

"I am not a kid." Arthur grumbled. "Yes, I think I'm fine for now."

"Uh huh."

Arthur shook his head, and after a moment he got up. "Do you want a drink?" he asked, slowly moving towards his kettle.

"...Artie, maybe I should make your crappy tea and drinks until you feel a bit better?" Alfred offered hesitantly.

"No, I can handle it." Arthur insisted, using the counter as support. "What would you like?"

"...Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." He stumbled slightly, but quickly shook it off. "Coffee, yes?"

"...Artie, come on." Alfred got up slowly. "You can sit."

"No, I'm fine! It's just some after-effects of the transformation, it'll wear off in a bit." Arthur filled the kettle with waster and set it on the stove. He then steeled himself and started across the kitchen to fetch his tea box.

Alfred kept standing, eyebrow raised, ready to lean down and catch him before he fell.

Arthur was fine until after he got the tea box. It was a large, heavy, ornate piece of wood, a relic from his days as an empire. He always kept his tea in there, preferring this box than the traditional ones the stores sold. Since it was so heavy, he simply couldn't hold it for very long given his weakened condition. His legs gave out when he was about three feet away from the counter. He cursed and struggled to stay up.

Alfred laughed as he caught him, one arm going around Arthur's waist, while his other hand went underneath the box to hold it up. "You're fine, Artie?"

"Of course I am. The blasted box just got heavier...Err, you wouldn't mind putting it up on the counter, would you?"

"Uh huh. And how about you sit?" Snickering, Alfred raised the box up, letting it slide onto the counter before turning and carefully leading Arthur back to sit.

"Oh, alright." Arthur sighed. "But only for a minute."

Alfred smiled and sat him down. "Better?"

Arthur shook his head stubbornly, not wanting to admit exactly how amazing it felt to take the stress off his legs. "No. It's boring."

"You just sat down, you liar! Plus, ya sit all the time. You're fiiine."

"Yes, but then I have something to _do_! There's absolutely nothing to keep me occupied now." Arthur shot back, crossing his arms. A few seconds later, he couldn't take it anymore. "That's it, I'm getting up." He gritted his teeth and stood, forcing himself to walk quickly over to the tea box. The going was slightly easier this time.

Alfred caught him by the shoulders before he got too far and sat him right back down. "Nuh uh. You just sat down, calm down."

"Alfred, stop being unreasonable! I am perfectly capable of standing on my own." Arthur pouted at him.

"Not saying you aren't." Alfred said with a roll of his eyes. "You have to sit and calm down, rest a bit, damn."

Arthur hesitated, and then slumped back into the chair. "Fine then. Make the tea, and whatever you want for yourself." His fingers started tapping a random tune on the tabletop.

Alfred sighed. "Yeah, yeah. How are ya?"

"I'm back to normal, as you can see."

"...Alright. How do ya feel? Do ya miss it?"

"I feel a bit odd, quite honestly, but that might be because everything's normal sized now." He chuckled slightly. "Miss what? Being tiny and helpless? I'll admit it was...fun at times, but definitely not for more than a few days. And...it really depends on who you're with...but yes. Most certainly a temporary arrangement."

Alfred glanced back at him when he said the 'who you're with' part, but then turned back to watch the kettle. "...Oh. Cool. Well, next time, don't try and shrink me."

"Well next time don't be so annoying." Arthur replied, a hint of a smirk on his lips.

Alfred scoffed and turned to him, ready to start an insult war, but he saw the smirk and sighed. "Whatever." He sat down at the table and put his chin in his arms.

"What, no comeback? You're slipping, Alfred." Arthur said triumphantly, his smirk growing. "Don't mess up on the drinks." he reminded the American, noticing that the water was close to boiling.

Alfred scoffed again. "Don't wanna trip you when you're walking, old man." He glanced back. "Yeah, yeah."

"I'm not currently walking, _boy_. Are perhaps those glasses of yours clouded?" Arthur asked, but his smirk softened to a light grin to let Alfred know that he was joking.

Alfred watched him, narrowing his eyes playfully. "Boy? Seriously, Art? I'm a grown man!"

"Grown man? You're barely a few centuries old!" Arthur chuckled, and then suddenly grew very serious. "And I am NOT old!"

"But I'm totally a man! And yeah, a bit."

"Of course you are." Arthur snorted. Then, deciding once again that he had sat long enough, he stood and walked to the counter to prepare the tea.

"You're supposed to sit! And I am, so don't sound do sarcastic!"

"I've sat long enough!" Arthur snapped. His legs were still shaking a bit, but he was a whole lot more stable than before.

"Fine, but I am one!"

"Alright, Alright, you're a man. A bloody annoying one at that. Very _childish_." Arthur leaned heavily on the counter as he scooped the tea leaves from the box into a metal steeper.

"I am not!"

"Of course, of course. Because non-annoying people drive me up the wall and push me to make a shrinking potion, you know." Arthur said, shutting the tea box and trying to heft it, but placing it back onto the counter after a few seconds. "Would you be so helpful as to put this back?"

Alfred narrowed his eyes again. "Dunno, should I? Don't wanna be annoying now."

"Fine then, I'll do it myself." Arthur snapped, heaving the box up.

Alfred raised an eyebrow and rested his chin on one propped-up hand, waiting for the Brit to fail.

Arthur got to the table without incident, but when he put the box down, his arms were trembling. For the first time in his life, he cursed himself for having such a wonderfully ornate and heavy tea box. He tried lifting it, but couldn't. Not wanting to let Alfred know of the fact, he tried to quickly come up with a way to stall, drumming his fingers on the wood as he thought.

Alfred snorted and got up, walking over. "Help?"

"No, I'm fine. Just...waiting for the proper time to put it back. It has to be a very specific hour, you know." Arthur made up on the spot.

Alfred snickered. "You have a British put-the-tea-away-now timer?"

"Yes, of course. It's...hidden in the kitchen clock. It'll go off when it's time, but only British people can hear it."

Alfred laughed again and leaned onto the counter. "Uh huh. You know, I'm not that goddamned stupid, right?"

"I-I-...Fine. Help me." Arthur muttered, looking down at the table.

Alfred smirked and did as he asked, easily lifting the box and setting it back in its place.

"Thank you." Arthur said graciously, though the words were a bit hard to get out. He went over to the kettle and poured himself some tea.

"Maybe you should sit again." Alfred said, sighing.

Arthur sighed brightly at him. "Of course I can sit, now that I've got my tea." He settled into his chair and contently sipped at the hot liquid.

Alfred rolled his eyes. "Yeah, cuz that's not boring."

"Or course it's not boring. You just don't know all the pleasures a simple cup of tea can bring you.

"...Yeah, I do actually, Art." Alfred smiled gently as he glanced down at his own mug of coffee; same on he shared with the other seconds before the incident. "Though ya gotta watch out. Last time you had that pleasure, you weren't this tall." He smirked a bit, watching Arthur almost spit his tea back into his cup when he said this, bringing his own mug to his lips.

Yeah, that was fun.

* * *

**A/N**: So this is the end. Of this story, at least. We still have the Version 2 going on, and I'll start posting another one of my works once Ver. 2 starts dwindling down.

One little note, for those of you who might be confused:

**Two finger salute** - When you see a Brit stick up two fingers at you in a V shape, he may be ordering two of something (if his palms are toward you). The other way around and it's an insult along the lines of your one finger salute. Which, by the way, is very popular here now too!

(Info above is taken from 'The Very best of British- British Slang' and belongs Dr. Effingpot, who is the author of that particular site and that particular book.)

Well, I bid you all Adieu on this little story of mine! See ya!


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